Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW019202S
|
00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written.
00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:23 ♪[dramatic music]♪ 00:25 There's no other place like it in the entire world. 00:29 People flock here from all around the planet-- 00:32 pilgrims, many of them. 00:34 They come to walk where Jesus walked, 00:36 to see places spoken of in the Bible, 00:39 to see where Jesus died, 00:41 or, just a few miles away in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. 00:46 Unlike some historic sites in the world, 00:50 there's no doubt that this one is legitimate. 00:53 Jesus, the Son of Mary and Joseph, 00:56 the Son of David, the Son of God lived here. 01:02 Now, He didn't spend as much time here as many people think. 01:05 Matthew 9:1 describes Capernaum as Jesus' own city. 01:11 It was there in Capernaum on the north side of the Sea of Galilee 01:14 and in other places nearby that Jesus cast out demons, 01:18 healed the mother of Peter, 01:19 healed the man who was lowered through the roof of that home. 01:23 It was in Galilee that many of the disciples were called. 01:26 Some were fisherman, and they fished on the Sea of Galilee. 01:30 It was there, 70 miles from Jerusalem in a straight line-- 01:33 and, of course, much further if you walked, like Jesus did-- 01:37 that Jesus walked on water, that Peter walked on water, 01:41 that Jesus calmed the storm. 01:43 When Jesus spoke of the future of the church 01:45 and told Peter that He would build the church upon a rock, 01:48 the rock being Jesus Himself, 01:51 that was north of Capernaum in Caesarea Philippi. 01:54 The Sermon on the Mount on a hillside in Galilee, 01:57 not here in Jerusalem. 02:00 But there was something in Jerusalem 02:01 that drew Jesus here often: 02:04 the temple. 02:07 The temple in Jerusalem was first built by Solomon 02:10 and was destroyed some years later by Nebuchadnezzar. 02:14 That temple was rebuilt by exiles who returned to Jerusalem 02:19 from the Babylonian captivity. 02:21 It was refurbished by Herod the Great, 02:24 the ruler in Israel when Jesus was born. 02:27 That's the man who was so alarmed 02:29 by word that a king had been born in Bethlehem 02:32 that he ordered the killing of every baby boy 02:35 under the age of 2 in Bethlehem. 02:37 Herod was ruthless--and an incredible builder. 02:43 He built the fortress at Masada. 02:46 He built the royal complex called Herodium, 02:48 another colossal palace, fortress-type building, 02:52 where his own tomb was located by archaeologist Ehud Netzer. 02:56 He built a lot more, all of it grand, 02:58 including that third temple. 03:01 He was determined to make it a huge complex. 03:04 So he constructed--or at least he had constructed-- 03:07 the Temple Mount, 03:09 an enormous platform upon which the temple would rest. 03:13 Enormous stones were used in the wall of the Temple Mount, 03:17 many of them weighing an estimated 120 tons, 03:20 or almost 109 tonnes in metric. 03:23 And some of those stones, much more. 03:25 He built the Western Wall, 03:27 where Jews still come to worship today. 03:30 When Jesus visited the temple during Passover, 03:33 it's said in John 2, verse 20, 03:35 that the temple had been under construction for 46 years. 03:40 When it was destroyed in 70 AD, 03:43 it's thought construction had been fully completed 03:45 only a few years earlier. 03:48 ♪[solemn music]♪ 03:50 [machinery whirring] 03:54 Visit the Temple Mount today 03:56 and you're able to see prophecy fulfilled. 03:58 Of course, there's no temple on the Temple Mount now. 04:02 Jesus, speaking to His disciples in Matthew 24 04:06 from the Mount of Olives, 04:08 just across the Kidron Valley from here, 04:10 told His disciples that the temple would be destroyed 04:13 to the extent that there would not be one stone 04:16 left upon another. 04:18 I've been asked about that by people many times 04:19 who see the wall, very much intact, stones on top of stones, 04:24 and they wonder whether that prophecy failed. 04:27 But no, Jesus was speaking about the stones 04:30 in the buildings of the temple complex. 04:33 And if you come here today, 04:34 you're able to see some of those same stones, 04:36 pushed off the Temple Mount, lying in piles today. 04:40 ♪[foreboding Middle Eastern instrumental music]♪ 04:46 In the 2nd century AD, the Roman emperor Hadrian 04:50 built a temple for the worship of Jupiter on the Temple Mount, 04:54 later demolished by the emperor Constantine. 04:57 The area later became a rubbish dump. 04:59 But today, the Temple Mount is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, 05:03 considered to be the third holiest site in Islam, 05:07 and the magnificent Dome of the Rock. 05:10 It was completed in around 691 AD 05:14 and then rebuilt a little over 300 years later. 05:17 It's the most recognized landmark in Jerusalem today. 05:24 Now, there's no shortage of controversy and tension 05:27 in Jerusalem concerning the Temple Mount. 05:30 There are some Jews and some Christians, too, 05:32 who believe that the Jewish temple will be rebuilt here. 05:36 Now, the question is asked, 05:38 how can that possibly happen when the site is currently 05:41 under Muslim control? 05:42 That's a fair question. 05:44 And then there are those who ask whether the temple 05:46 even needs to be rebuilt, 05:48 considering that Jesus brought about an end 05:50 of the sacrificial system when He died on the cross 05:54 as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 06:02 Jesus came and went from the temple 06:04 that stood on the Temple Mount during His life and ministry. 06:08 It was there that Jesus overturned 06:10 the money changers' tables. 06:12 It was on the steps just in front of the Temple Mount 06:14 that Jesus anointed a blind man's eyes with dirt and saliva 06:20 and had him go and wash his eyes in the Pool of Siloam, 06:22 which the man did-- it was very nearby. 06:24 The man received his sight. 06:27 It was on that same Temple Mount when, 06:28 as a 12-year-old, 06:30 Jesus engaged the religious leaders in a discussion. 06:34 His parents had left town, 06:36 not realizing that they had failed to bring Jesus with them. 06:41 That was all right there. 06:44 But another very significant event happened on that same spot 06:48 2,000 years earlier, 06:51 an event that prefigured the coming of Jesus to this world. 06:55 Let's take a look at that story now. 06:57 It's a story of faith, great faith. 06:59 Well, some great faith and a fair amount of faithlessness. 07:04 But it's a story in which faith triumphs. 07:07 It's a challenging story. 07:09 But this story announces that Jesus would come to the world 07:12 to save us from our sins. 07:14 ♪[instrumental music]♪ 07:23 God promised elderly Abram, 07:26 whose name was later changed to Abraham, 07:28 that he would have a son. 07:30 In fact, God told the old man that his descendants 07:33 would become a great nation. 07:35 The Bible says the Lord visited Abraham in Mamre, 07:39 which was located southwest of Jerusalem, 07:42 down near Hebron. 07:44 "And He said, 'I will certainly return to you 07:47 according to the time of life, 07:49 and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.' 07:53 (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)" 07:56 That's Genesis 18:10. 07:58 The next verse says, "Now Abraham and Sarah were old, 08:02 well advanced in age; 08:04 and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing." 08:08 God stated a physical impossibility, and Sarah reacted 08:13 as many people do when they're confronted by God's power, 08:17 God's promises, God's Word. 08:20 "Oh, there's no way in the world 08:22 a big fish could possibly have swallowed up Jonah." 08:25 "How could a virgin possibly conceive?" 08:28 "Really? Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead?" 08:32 There are a lot of doubters. 08:35 "How could God possibly forgive me of my sins?" 08:38 Same thing. 08:39 When God speaks-- and He has spoken-- 08:42 the right way to respond is by exercising faith in God's Word. 08:47 But that's not what Sarah did. 08:50 "Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, 08:54 'After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, 08:56 my lord being old also?' 08:59 And the Lord said to Abraham, 09:01 'Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 09:03 "Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?" 09:06 Is anything too hard for the Lord? 09:09 At the appointed time I will return to you, 09:11 according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.'" 09:17 Now, there's a question: 09:18 Is there anything too hard for the Lord? 09:21 God had spoken, so, it would happen. 09:26 There's nothing too hard for the Lord. 09:29 Believe that and you'll be in good shape. 09:32 I'll be right back. 09:34 ♪[music]♪ 09:43 >>John: Jesus said He came into the world 09:45 to give us a more abundant life. 09:47 And you can have that by making simple changes 09:49 that bring profound results. 09:51 And with that in mind, I'd like to offer you a special book. 09:54 It's called "Confidence in Chaos." 09:56 If you want to get your heart right with God, 09:57 this is the book that's going to set you on the path 09:59 to that place. 10:00 In order to get this book, call right now. 10:02 The number is 1-800-253-3000, 10:06 and simply ask for "Confidence in Chaos," 10:09 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 10:13 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today 10:15 on It Is Written. 10:16 Jerusalem, the city of peace. 10:20 Well, of course, over the last number of years 10:23 it hasn't been a city of a lot of peace. 10:26 Jerusalem, most of it, was under the control of Jordan 10:29 until the Six-Day War in 1967. 10:32 At that time, a large amount of territory was taken, 10:35 including the old city of Jerusalem. 10:38 Jews hadn't held the old city 10:40 for hundreds and hundreds of years. 10:43 And when Israeli soldiers made it to the wall 10:45 of the Temple Mount, they wept. 10:48 Which is why the Western Wall is referred to today 10:50 as the Wailing Wall. 10:53 And since then, 10:54 there hasn't been anything resembling real peace, 10:57 in spite of many attempts at securing peace. 11:00 Jesus is referred to as the Prince of Peace, 11:04 and you're left thinking that surely the only way 11:06 to real peace in this part of the world is Jesus Himself. 11:11 And this is a city of miracles, 11:14 and a city where great faith was demonstrated again and again 11:16 in Bible times. 11:18 The Pool of Bethesda is here in Jerusalem. 11:20 It's been excavated, 11:22 so it's possible to see just what it was like in Bible times. 11:26 In John chapter 5, we read an account of a man 11:28 who was at the Pool of Bethesda waiting for, as the Bible says, 11:32 "the moving of the water." 11:34 He'd been suffering from a physical problem for 38 years. 11:38 And Jesus saw him there. 11:40 Now, keep in mind, Jesus didn't go from Galilee to Jerusalem 11:44 for the purpose of healing. 11:46 He was there, well, here, for the feast. 11:49 But He saw this man suffering, and His heart was touched. 11:53 Jesus' heart is still touched by suffering. 11:56 It was touched by the plight of this man. 11:58 And if you're going through something, 11:59 remember, He's touched by your plight as well. 12:03 There's no hardship that you go through 12:04 that Jesus doesn't notice, that doesn't touch His heart. 12:08 And on this day at the Pool of Bethesda, 12:10 Jesus' heart was touched. 12:12 He said to the man, "Do you want to be made whole?" 12:17 And here's where the man told Jesus 12:19 about this interesting tradition that when the water was troubled 12:22 in some mystical way, 12:24 that the first person put into the pool would be healed. 12:28 But here was the source of life and healing, 12:30 the Creator and Re-Creator, 12:33 and He longed to give the man true healing. 12:36 Jesus said, "Rise, take up your bed, and walk." 12:42 Now, what would you do if you were in the man's situation? 12:44 You've been ill or disabled for 38 years, 12:47 and someone you've never met says to you, 12:49 "Take up your bed and walk." 12:52 You might doubt. 12:54 You might think the man was out of his mind. 12:57 But this man exercised faith. 12:59 He heard the word of Jesus and believed it, 13:02 acted upon it. 13:03 He heard the word, and he did what the word said. 13:08 That's faith. 13:10 And as he exercised faith, the Bible says, 13:13 "Immediately the man was made whole, 13:16 and took up his bed, and walked." 13:20 And there's another great story of faith 13:23 that has its culmination in Jerusalem. 13:25 It started a couple of hours away in a place called Mamre. 13:28 God spoke to Abraham, 13:30 known today as the "father of the faithful," 13:34 and told Abraham that he would become a father, 13:37 and that his elderly wife would give birth to a son. 13:41 When God told Abraham that, Abraham was flabbergasted. 13:45 Sarah, previously Sarai, laughed. 13:49 You might understand why. 13:51 They just couldn't understand how, at their advanced age, 13:56 they were going to welcome a baby boy into their home. 13:59 But God said they would, and the same God had asked the question, 14:04 "Is [there] anything too hard for the Lord?" 14:07 Now, that's something you want to remember. 14:10 When you get into a scrape, when you get into a tough place, 14:13 when it seems like things aren't going well, 14:16 remember that God is with you. 14:18 And that there is nothing too hard for the Lord. 14:23 Now, why did God choose Abraham for this? 14:27 Genesis 18:19 tells us, "I have known him, 14:30 in order that he may command his children 14:32 and his household after him, 14:34 that they keep the way of the Lord, 14:36 to do righteousness and [judgment], 14:39 that the Lord may bring to Abraham 14:41 what He has spoken to him." 14:43 You know, it's interesting that Abraham wasn't always 14:46 a man of great faith. 14:48 He went to a place called Gerar. 14:50 Of course, Sarah was with him, 14:52 but he explained that his wife was actually his sister. 14:56 As a consequence, the king, Abimelech, 14:58 took Abraham's beautiful wife to be his own. 15:03 It wasn't until God appeared to Abimelech in a dream 15:06 and told him that he had taken another man's wife 15:09 that he returned Sarah to Abraham--and rebuked Abraham. 15:14 Seems Abimelech acted with more honor in this situation 15:17 than Abraham, the father of the faithful, did. 15:20 You see, Abraham evidently was scared that his wife 15:22 would be forcibly taken from him 15:24 and that he would be harmed in the process. 15:27 Seems that in Abraham's mind, 15:30 it was preferable that his wife be violated rather than him. 15:34 The father of the faithful? 15:36 Seems like he wasn't acting that way, 15:38 except we'll remember a couple of things. 15:40 People grow in their faith, 15:42 and people of faith can make mistakes. 15:45 But when God brought the big test to Abraham, 15:50 Abraham didn't stumble. 15:52 I'll have that in just a moment. 15:53 ♪[music]♪ 16:02 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 16:04 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 16:07 To support this international life-changing ministry, 16:11 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 16:15 You can send your tax-deductible gift 16:16 to the address on your screen, 16:18 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 16:22 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 16:25 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 16:29 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 16:33 >>John: It's one of the great stories of the Bible: 16:35 a shepherd boy against a giant. 16:37 It's a story that speaks to your story, 16:40 human beings weakened by years of sin 16:42 up against an enemy with years of experience in sin. 16:45 I'm John Bradshaw. 16:47 Join me on location in Israel for "David and Goliath." 16:51 We'll go to the Valley of Elah, 16:52 where the conflict between Judah and the Philistines took place. 16:55 We'll visit the stream where David selected five stones 16:58 and see the hillsides 17:00 on which Israel and the Philistines camped. 17:02 The Bible comes alive in "David and Goliath." 17:05 Faith in the face of darkness, 17:07 faith in the midst of faithlessness and failure, 17:10 and reliance upon God when all other hope is gone. 17:14 "David and Goliath," filmed on location in Israel. 17:17 Hope in the midst of trials, the power of a mighty God, 17:21 deliverance when deliverance is needed. 17:24 Don't miss "David and Goliath," 17:27 brought to you by It Is Written TV. 17:33 >>John Bradshaw: Passing his wife off as his sister 17:36 wasn't the only serious mistake Abraham made. 17:39 This happened because Abraham and Sarah decided 17:43 that God needed some help. 17:45 They knew that God had said Sarah would have a baby 17:47 in her old age. 17:49 But Sarah figured that would never happen. 17:51 So she suggested that Abraham take her handmaid Hagar 17:55 and have a child with Hagar. 17:57 Now, Abraham very obviously should have told his wife 18:00 that that was a terrible idea, 18:01 but instead he agreed, and Ishmael was born. 18:05 But immediately this caused all kinds of problems. 18:09 And it still does. 18:10 The descendants of Isaac and Ishmael 18:12 have been at each other ever since. 18:15 The trouble in the Middle East today? 18:18 Isaac's descendants against Ishmael's descendants. 18:22 If Sarah hadn't tried to help God, 18:25 history would have turned out very differently. 18:29 Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born. 18:32 Sarah was 90 or 91. 18:35 When they believed God, trusted God, 18:38 they demonstrated faith, 18:41 and their faith in God was very clearly vindicated. 18:44 Sarah had a baby boy, and he was the child of promise. 18:49 Ishmael could never be the child of promise 18:51 because taking Hagar was not an act of faith. 18:55 God said Sarah would give birth. 18:57 He didn't say anything about Hagar. 18:59 As impossible as it seemed, when God said, 19:03 "Sarah will bear a child," 19:05 all they needed to do was believe that, 19:06 and it would be done, because God had said so. 19:10 And that's faith, 19:11 believing that what God says will happen because God said so. 19:17 You don't need further evidence, 19:19 just faith that God can do what He says He can do. 19:23 But it's in Genesis chapter 22 19:25 that things really get tough for Abraham. 19:29 Based on his previous failures, you might think he'd fail here. 19:33 God brings a severe test. 19:37 Starting in verse 1: 19:39 "Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, 19:43 and said to him, 'Abraham!' 19:45 And he said, 'Here I am.' 19:48 Then He said, 'Take now your son, 19:50 your only son Isaac, whom you love, 19:53 and go to the land of Moriah, 19:56 and offer him there as a burnt offering 19:58 on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.'" 20:01 Imagine that. 20:03 God said, "Sacrifice your son." 20:07 And in spite of his previous failings, 20:10 Abraham doesn't fail this time. 20:13 Verse 3 says this: 20:15 "So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, 20:19 and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; 20:23 and he split the wood for the burnt offering, 20:26 and arose and went to the place of which God had told him." 20:30 Verse 4: 20:31 "Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes 20:34 and saw the place afar off." 20:37 The place he saw was Mount Moriah, 20:40 which is where the Temple Mount stands today. 20:43 And so you can imagine, 20:45 Abraham having traveled about three days with his son, 20:48 now starting slowly to ascend the mountain. 20:51 In fact, it's, it's really little more than a hill. 20:55 So he's traveling up the hill with his son, 20:58 with a heavy heart, knowing what he has to do. 21:02 Interestingly, Muslims believe it was Ishmael 21:04 that Abraham took to the top of Mount Moriah to sacrifice. 21:08 But the Bible says it was Abraham and Isaac. 21:12 "And Abraham said to his young men, 21:15 'Stay here with the donkey; 21:17 the lad and I will go yonder and worship, 21:20 and we will come back to you.'" 21:21 Now, that's interesting. 21:23 He knew what God had asked, 21:25 but he believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead. 21:30 It says this in Hebrews 11: 21:32 "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, 21:37 and he who had received the promises offered up 21:40 his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 21:42 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' 21:46 concluding that God was able to raise him up, 21:49 even from the dead, 21:50 from which he also received him in a figurative sense." 21:54 But still, 21:55 this was a colossal struggle for the loving father Abraham. 21:59 Back to Genesis chapter 22. 22:02 "So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering 22:04 and laid it on Isaac his son; 22:07 and he took the fire in his hand, 22:09 and a knife, and the two of them went together. 22:12 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, 22:15 'My father!' And he said, 'Here I am, my son.' 22:19 Then he said, 'Look, the fire and the wood, 22:22 but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?'" 22:26 Now, notice these beautiful words: 22:28 "And Abraham said, 'My son, God will provide for Himself 22:34 the lamb for a burnt offering.' 22:36 So the two of them went together. 22:39 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. 22:42 And Abraham built an altar there 22:44 and placed the wood in order; 22:46 and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, 22:49 upon the wood. 22:51 And Abraham stretched out his hand 22:53 and took the knife to slay his son." 22:56 So how do you do that? 22:58 Well, faith. 23:00 God had said Isaac was the child of promise. 23:04 So, very clearly, the boy's life couldn't come to an end. 23:09 God had spoken, and Abraham believed God. 23:13 As Romans 4, verse 3 says, 23:15 "For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, 23:19 and it was accounted to him for righteousness.'" 23:22 And as Abraham was in the throes of taking his son's life, 23:27 God intervened. 23:29 "The Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, 23:33 'Abraham, Abraham!' So he said, 'Here I am.' 23:37 And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, 23:40 or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, 23:45 since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.'" 23:50 "Now I know...you fear God." 23:53 And why was that? 23:55 Because you believed, 23:56 and you demonstrated that belief by your actions. 24:00 You believed, and you obeyed. 24:02 You believed, and you showed that belief in your life. 24:09 So how are things with you? 24:10 Are you living a life of faith? 24:12 Are you living "by every word 24:13 that proceeds from the mouth of God"? 24:15 That's what faith is. It's trusting God. 24:18 It's taking God at His word. 24:20 That's what Abraham chose to do. 24:23 Now, if you'd like another example of great faith, 24:26 think about Isaac. 24:27 A young man more than likely in his late teens. 24:30 His father says, "God has told me to sacrifice you." 24:35 Now, what would you have done? 24:36 No one would have blamed Isaac if he'd jumped up and, 24:38 jumped up and run off and said, "Dad, you're crazy!" 24:41 But that's not what he did. He submitted to his father. 24:43 Which tells us at least three things. 24:46 One, he loved his dad. 24:48 Two, he trusted and respected his dad. 24:51 And three, Abraham had lived the kind of life as a daddy 24:55 that inspired faithfulness in his son Isaac. 24:59 I think there's a lesson there for parents everywhere. 25:01 And the story ends with a truly beautiful verse. 25:04 Abraham had said to his son, 25:06 "[My] God [shall] provide Himself 25:08 a lamb for a burnt offering." 25:10 That's exactly what God did. 25:12 ♪[soft music]♪ 25:13 Genesis 22:13, "Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, 25:19 and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket 25:22 by its horns. 25:24 So Abraham went and took the ram, 25:27 and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son." 25:32 [traffic noise and indistinct voices in background] 25:34 And what was this? 25:36 This was prefiguring Jesus, 25:37 who would die for the sins of the world. 25:39 God did give Himself a Lamb for a burnt offering: 25:43 Jesus, God in the flesh, who died for the sins of the world. 25:47 And He did so pretty much in exactly the same place 25:50 that Abraham offered that ram. 25:53 A beautiful story, a story of faith. 25:56 Is anything too hard for the Lord? 25:59 No, nothing. 26:00 An elderly woman giving birth? 26:02 If that's God's will, sure. 26:05 A patriarch choosing to offer up his son? 26:07 Yes, because the man had faith. 26:11 Do you have faith in God? 26:13 Real faith? 26:14 Not just church-once-a-week faith, but real faith? 26:18 I've decided to follow Jesus. 26:20 His Word is my will. 26:21 When the Bible says it, I believe it. 26:23 And I want God's will done in my life. 26:26 What a beautiful story of faith. 26:28 And Abraham's story of faith can be your story. 26:36 >>John: Jesus said He came into the world to give us 26:38 a more abundant life, 26:40 and you can have that by making simple changes 26:42 that bring profound results. 26:44 And with that in mind, I'd like to offer you a special book. 26:46 It's called "Confidence in Chaos." 26:48 If you want to get your heart right with God, 26:50 this is the book that's going to set you on the path 26:52 to that place. 26:53 In order to get this book, call right now. 26:55 The number is 1-800-253-3000, 26:59 and simply ask for "Confidence in Chaos," 27:01 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 27:06 >>John Bradshaw: Let's pray together now. 27:08 Our Father in heaven, 27:09 we come to You in the name of Jesus, and we thank You. 27:12 We thank You for the gift of faith. 27:14 And we pray, as the disciples pray, 27:17 "Increase our faith." 27:18 Friend, is there something for which you need more faith? 27:22 Is there a struggle you're having where, 27:23 where you can't see God, where you're battling to see God? 27:27 Or are you drifting, and you're not living your life 27:29 on the Word of God? 27:30 Tell God now, "I want faith. 27:33 I want to lean on Your Word. I want to stand on Jesus." 27:37 Believe His promises. Believe the Bible. 27:41 Father in heaven, we thank You. We thank You for faith. 27:43 Grow our faith, we pray, in Jesus' name. 27:48 Amen. 27:49 Thanks so much for joining me today. 27:51 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:53 Until then, remember: 27:55 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 28:00 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 28:04 ♪[theme music]♪ |
Revised 2025-07-09