Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW019207S
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00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written.
00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:24 You might not be especially amazed by this tree. 00:29 It's an evergreen, a pine tree, and aside from its beauty, 00:33 it looks, well, unremarkable. 00:38 But this plain pine tree is, in fact, 00:40 a Monterey pine, and there are just a couple of natural stands 00:44 of these trees left in coastal central California. 00:49 So it's a little rare. 00:51 At least, it's rare in its native habitat. 00:54 But in countries like New Zealand and Chile, 00:57 Australia, Spain, and South Africa, 00:59 the Monterey pine, or pinus radiata, 01:03 is the most planted of all pines, 01:05 creating an entire lumber industry around this one tree. 01:09 And they can get tall, with the average being somewhere 01:12 between 50 and 115 feet tall in the wild 01:17 or around 150 feet, about 46 1/2 meters, 01:21 when they're cultivated. 01:23 There's some debate among arborists 01:25 about where the tallest Monterey pine is. 01:28 Some say it's in New Zealand. 01:30 Others say South Africa. 01:32 But one thing's for sure: 01:34 It's not here in Monterey, California, 01:36 among the remaining natural forests. 01:39 Now, there's something interesting about this tree. 01:42 It can teach us a lot about the character of God, 01:46 about the backstory of the Bible, 01:48 the prequel of the Bible, if you will. 01:51 It can even teach us something about the sequel of the Bible. 01:55 In this series we've looked at the prequel of the Bible, 01:59 the story of Satan's rebellion against God. 02:02 We've investigated the war that began in heaven 02:04 and continues here on this earth, 02:06 a war that impacts everyone everywhere, all the time. 02:11 What we know is that Satan's rebellion against God 02:13 was a political rebellion. 02:16 This was a clash of ideas, 02:17 a clash of, of governing philosophies. 02:21 Satan campaigned against God 02:23 to attract followers and displace God. 02:27 He attacked God's character. 02:29 He said that God was fundamentally selfish 02:31 and unfair, stating that what God wanted to do 02:35 was hold back the human family 02:38 and keep the very best for Himself. 02:41 As with any political campaign, Satan offered a platform, 02:44 his way of running the universe. 02:47 He rejected God's plan-- 02:49 God's plan based on lovingkindness 02:51 and universal giving, where the objective is mutual benefit. 02:56 Satan's plan was based on selfishness 02:59 and opportunistic taking, 03:01 where the objectives are power and domination. 03:04 And he had a surprising amount of success, 03:07 attracting to his side, according to the Bible, 03:10 one-third of all the angels in heaven. 03:14 Once Satan usurped dominion of the world 03:16 by conquering Adam and Eve, 03:18 he got to work setting up his system for the world. 03:22 He twisted and he perverted creation 03:24 so that the amazing things that God had made were, 03:27 to a great extent, obscured. 03:29 And then he got about obliterating the evidence 03:32 of the character of God 03:33 as you once would have seen it in the natural world. 03:37 Satan set in place for this earth a system 03:42 based on selfishness. 03:45 ♪[soft music]♪ 03:47 So here we are, living on earth as Satan's system plays out, 03:51 and the entire universe is able to see more and more clearly 03:56 that Satan's system is a complete disaster. 03:59 The problem for him, and for us, 04:02 is that selfishness as a system collapses in on itself. 04:06 Since the world we live on is organized around selfishness, 04:09 we're observing in real time the accelerating decay 04:13 of all the natural systems and living creatures of earth, 04:16 as well as society itself. 04:19 Now, this won't go on forever. 04:20 Eventually Satan's rebellion will be universally seen 04:24 as a complete failure, 04:25 and Christ will return to the earth to redeem His followers. 04:29 And judging by the prophecies we see being fulfilled around us, 04:33 that tipping point is very, very close. 04:37 That, in a nutshell, is the prequel of the Bible, 04:41 the backstory of the Bible. 04:43 So what, then, is the sequel of the Bible? 04:46 Well, being a sequel, it's what comes after, 04:49 and like the prequel, 04:50 it's directly related to God's character, to who He is. 04:55 Now, to try and explain a bit about the sequel 04:57 and God's character, I'm going to use an interesting tree, 05:02 a tree I'll tell you more about in just a moment. 05:05 ♪[music]♪ 05:14 >>John: If you're planning on being part 05:16 of God's eternal kingdom of lovingkindness, 05:20 I've got something for you. 05:21 Be sure to call right now 05:22 800-253-3000 05:25 and ask for "Steps to Christ." 05:27 It's the best book I've ever read outside of the Bible 05:31 on having a successful relationship with Jesus 05:33 that will see you into eternity. 05:35 Get it for yourself or someone you care about. 05:37 "Steps to Christ." 05:38 Call 800-253-3000 05:41 or go to iiwoffer.com. 05:45 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 05:47 So far in this series, 05:49 we've looked at examples of how Satan's system of selfishness, 05:53 which reflects his character, are seen in the natural world. 05:57 We've looked at rattlesnakes and beaded lizards, 06:00 and we've looked at scorpions. 06:02 It's not that they're not beautiful or impressive-- 06:05 they are both--but they show that sin and death have entered 06:10 into the natural world, and that was not God's original plan. 06:14 So thousands of years after the rise of sin, 06:16 can we see in the world around us examples of God's character, 06:21 remnants of His original model? 06:24 Yes, we can. 06:25 I'd like to show you one of them, 06:26 a beautiful tree, the Monterey cypress, or macrocarpa. 06:31 The Monterey cypress is an interesting tree. 06:35 It absolutely loves being right next to the ocean. 06:38 The windier and the foggier, the better. 06:42 The trees that are exposed to constant winds 06:44 take on bent and twisted shapes 06:46 over the hundreds of years that they live. 06:49 And some of them are absolutely beautiful. 06:52 The tree has been planted widely, 06:53 especially in coastal California. 06:56 But there are only two native stands, 06:59 one here at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve 07:02 and one nearby at Pebble Beach. 07:05 In fact, the trademark of the famed Pebble Beach Golf Course 07:09 is a drawing of a Monterey cypress. 07:13 But aside from being ruggedly beautiful and interesting, 07:16 this tree can teach us about God. 07:20 Not just this tree actually, but all trees. 07:25 You see, God's character is one of giving, 07:28 and God looks to bless with every interaction. 07:32 Now, the system that He created is just the same 07:35 and works on the same principles. 07:38 Now, we can't find any examples of trees 07:41 as they were originally created, 07:43 and it's not known to what extent they've changed 07:46 over the millennia. 07:47 But if we take them at face value, 07:50 there's a lot that we can learn about God and His character 07:53 and God's system...from trees. 07:57 For instance, right now, the small leaves on this big tree 08:01 are engaging in photosynthesis 08:04 to produce sugars that nourish the tree. 08:07 Through the same action, they're also producing oxygen 08:10 and taking in carbon dioxide. 08:13 They're performing a chemical exchange 08:15 that makes our lives possible. 08:17 At the same time, trees are home to an astonishing array 08:22 of insects, birds, and small animals. 08:26 And, of course, millions of trees are harvested to provide 08:29 not only paper products but the building materials 08:32 out of which we make our homes. 08:34 Trees also produce large amounts of leaves or needles 08:38 that enrich the soil. 08:40 And many produce fruit or nuts, 08:42 which become food for humans, animals, insects, and bacteria. 08:47 Fundamentally, trees give to everything else in the world 08:52 with every interaction, 08:54 and they don't take anything that's not given to them. 08:57 So they're a good example of how things were 08:59 when God first created the earth. 09:01 They're also a good example of the sequel, 09:05 how things are going to be in heaven 09:07 and in the earth made new. 09:11 So what we see is that in order to get a clear picture 09:14 of the prequel to the Bible, 09:16 we've got to go throughout the Bible and get the various pieces 09:19 and, and put them together, a little bit like a puzzle, 09:22 and then we see clearly this, 09:24 this backstory of the Word of God. 09:26 The same is basically true for the sequel of the Bible, 09:30 where we deal with heaven and the earth made new. 09:33 Here's what we know for sure: 09:35 One day, God is going to completely destroy 09:38 this sin-twisted earth and then remake it. 09:43 In 2 Peter 3:10 we read that "the day of the Lord will come 09:47 as a thief in the night, 09:49 in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, 09:52 and the elements will melt with fervent heat; 09:55 both the earth and the works that are in it 09:57 will be burned up." 10:00 Then God will create a new earth. 10:03 The Apostle John, writing in Revelation 21:1-4, 10:07 gives us a vivid description: 10:10 "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, 10:14 for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. 10:18 And there was no more sea. 10:21 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, 10:25 coming down out of heaven from God, 10:27 prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 10:31 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 10:34 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, 10:38 and He will dwell with them, 10:40 and they shall be His people. 10:42 God Himself will be with them and be their God. 10:46 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; 10:50 there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. 10:56 There shall be no more pain, 10:59 for the former things have passed away.'" 11:03 We're told in Romans 8 and verse 22 11:05 that all of creation groans under the weight of sin. 11:10 Romans 6:23 says the consequences of sin is death. 11:15 So you can know that in heaven, in an earth made new, 11:19 there won't be any sickness. 11:21 There'll be no suffering, no pain. 11:24 There'll be no death. 11:25 Satan, his old order of things, his system of selfishness, 11:31 will be completely gone. 11:36 Now, while that talks to us something about heaven, 11:38 it tells us mostly what heaven won't be like, 11:42 which leaves hanging, of course, 11:43 the question of what heaven will be like. 11:47 So, in a moment, we'll go looking into the Bible, 11:50 and we'll piece together as much of that as we can. 11:53 ♪[music]♪ 12:02 >>John: If you're planning on being part 12:04 of God's eternal kingdom of lovingkindness, 12:07 I've got something for you. 12:09 Be sure to call right now 800-253-3000 12:12 and ask for "Steps to Christ." 12:15 It's the best book I've ever read outside of the Bible 12:18 on having a successful relationship with Jesus 12:21 that will see you into eternity. 12:23 Get it for yourself or someone you care about. 12:25 "Steps to Christ." 12:26 Call 800-253-3000 12:29 or go to iiwoffer.com. 12:32 >>John: In ancient times, 12:34 it was believed that the earth was flat, 12:37 until a few hundred years before Jesus came to the earth. 12:40 It was then that people discovered that the earth was, 12:43 in fact, a sphere like a ball. 12:46 But in recent years there's been a resurgence 12:49 in the belief that the earth is flat. 12:52 Be sure to watch "Flat Earth," 12:54 part 5 of the It Is Written series 12:57 "Conspiracy, More Than Just a Theory." 13:00 You'll hear from a leading proponent 13:02 of the flat earth theory, 13:04 and you'll learn what the Bible says about the conspiracy 13:06 playing right out before your eyes, 13:09 a conspiracy of eternal importance, 13:11 a conspiracy most people are missing. 13:14 Don't be unaware of the greatest conspiracy of them all, 13:18 one that involves you and those you love. 13:21 Watch "Flat Earth" 13:23 from the series "Conspiracy, More Than Just a Theory" 13:28 on It Is Written TV. 13:34 >>John Bradshaw: Consider for a moment the character of God. 13:37 The Bible says that God is love. He's the very essence of love. 13:41 And 'way back in the beginning, 13:43 He created a world especially designed to thrill us, 13:47 to bless us, to please us, to satisfy us, always. 13:51 In fact, you read Job 38, verse 7, 13:54 and it indicates that at creation 13:57 angels sang, and "the sons of God shouted for joy." 14:01 It was that good. 14:03 Now, when the earth is re-created, 14:05 it's going to be that good and more. 14:07 It will be even better. 14:10 So throughout eternity we will dwell in a place 14:13 that has been calculated by God to completely delight us. 14:21 We also know that we'll be part of God's administration 14:24 of the universe. 14:26 When the earth was created, humans were given dominion. 14:29 We were in charge of overseeing the earth. 14:32 Satan usurped our dominion when he conquered Adam and Eve. 14:37 It's reasonable to expect that with the re-creation 14:39 of the earth, our dominion will be restored. 14:43 So one thing we'll be doing is overseeing the earth. 14:47 We'll also be doing a whole lot more than that. 14:49 In 2 Timothy 2:12 it says that those who endured 14:52 and remain true to God will "reign with Him." 14:56 What that means exactly, we can't really be sure, 15:00 but we know that we'll join in some aspect of Christ's reign. 15:04 But all that will likely take up just a slice of our time. 15:08 For what we'll do with the rest of our time, 15:11 let's look again at creation. 15:13 We're told in Genesis 1:27 15:14 that we were created in the image of God. 15:17 God gave us the ability to think, to reason, 15:20 to create, to do. 15:23 He created us to constantly accrue or develop abilities 15:27 and have joy in using them. 15:29 He created us as social creatures. 15:32 We love talking to others, exchanging thoughts and ideas, 15:35 hearing stories, telling stories. 15:38 So it would seem that a significant part of the delight 15:41 God designed for us in the eternity of heaven is being us, 15:46 being the inquisitive, social, creative, learning creatures 15:49 that He made us to be. 15:51 God designed us to joyfully create things. 15:55 Maybe what we'll want to do is make an amazing country home 15:59 for ourselves. 16:00 We'll be deliberate about designing it, 16:02 looking at what others are doing, 16:03 discussing their ideas with them. 16:05 After all, there's no shortage of time in heaven. 16:08 So we'll want to find the exact spot where we'd like to build, 16:11 then find and cut the exact stone we want 16:14 for the foundation--or the interior or the exterior. 16:18 Maybe we'll want to use massive beams. 16:20 Maybe we'll want to grow our beautiful beams from seed. 16:23 Who knows. 16:24 Isaiah said in Isaiah 65 16:26 that we'll build homes and inhabit them. 16:30 And then, of course, there's the travel. 16:33 We'll be able to go anywhere in the entire universe 16:37 and see sights and meet new people. 16:40 Distance won't matter. 16:43 Everything you read in the Bible suggests 16:45 heaven and the new earth will be a fantastic, amazing, 16:51 social, creative experience 16:54 that will constantly amaze and delight us. 16:59 Now, as strange as it may seem, I've actually met people 17:02 who have said they don't want to go to heaven. 17:05 They don't like the idea of living forever. 17:08 That they are, oddly enough, 17:10 almost scared of the idea of everlasting life. 17:13 Now, I want to challenge that thinking. 17:16 It would seem to me-- 17:17 in fact, I'd almost be willing to guarantee you-- 17:19 that your view on what heaven will be like 17:23 will match up pretty well with your view of what Jesus is like. 17:28 If you think that Jesus is intimidating 17:30 and distant and scary, 17:32 then heaven isn't going to hold much appeal for you. 17:35 If you think that Jesus is boring and stuffy and tedious, 17:39 well, you're probably going to think about heaven 17:41 in the same way. 17:42 But Jesus is amazing. Jesus is wonderful. 17:46 There's no one ever been more friendly, 17:48 more loving, more kind, more gracious, 17:51 and so you can know that heaven is going to be 17:54 that sort of place. 17:55 In fact, the Bible tells us as much. 17:58 In 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 9: 18:01 "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 18:04 neither have entered into the heart of man, the things 18:07 which God hath prepared for them that love Him." 18:11 Jesus and the Bible are far, far better than anything 18:15 that you could imagine. 18:17 If your opinion of heaven isn't very high, 18:19 if you don't have a great view of the hereafter, 18:22 what I want to recommend to you is that you get to know Jesus. 18:25 And it's not a hard thing to do. 18:27 It's our privilege. 18:29 It's your privilege 18:30 to have a vibrant two-way relationship with God. 18:33 That's what He wants. 18:35 So where do you start? 18:36 Get to know God. 18:38 The Bible was given to us so that we could read that story, 18:41 or that collection of stories, 18:43 and get to know the God of heaven. 18:45 To know Him is to love Him. 18:48 Read the Word of God and find out what God is truly like, 18:51 what Jesus is really like. 18:53 And take time to pray. Communicate with God. 18:56 Have that two-way relationship with Him where you talk to Him, 19:00 listen for the sound of His voice, 19:02 and He'll talk back to you. 19:04 It's interesting, isn't it, 19:06 that there's so much ahead of us, 19:08 and yet so many people are ignoring it. 19:11 As Shakespeare wrote in "Hamlet," 19:13 "All that lives must die, 19:15 passing through nature to eternity." 19:19 Everyone agrees with the first part of that statement: 19:22 "All that lives must die." 19:24 But it's the nature of the second part 19:26 where there's some disagreement: 19:28 "Passing through nature to eternity." 19:31 For centuries, even for millennia, 19:33 there wasn't much debate about that. 19:35 The Egyptians prepared for it. 19:37 The magnificent pyramids were tombs for kings and queens. 19:41 Ancient Babylon: an afterlife was anticipated. 19:45 The ancient Greek view of the afterlife ebbed and flowed 19:48 a little bit as times changed. 19:50 The ferryman would transport the souls of the dead 19:53 across the River Styx into Hades. 19:57 It was the Greeks that taught that at death the soul separated 20:01 from the dead body and went on living in another plane. 20:05 So if there's life after life, and there is, 20:09 then you'd want to be part of that. 20:11 Except life today is intoxicating, 20:15 and we can be distracted easily, 20:18 and it's not difficult to be confused, led astray, 20:22 influenced by competing voices. 20:25 If you haven't learned for yourself that God is good, 20:29 you might be inclined to listen to the voices that say He isn't. 20:34 If you haven't read the Bible and learned for yourself 20:36 what Jesus is like, you might be open to the idea 20:40 that He's irrelevant or out of touch. 20:42 And if you don't take the time to stop and read the Bible 20:45 for yourself, then other things are going to fill that space 20:49 in your heart, in your mind. 20:52 You'll end up chasing all the wrong things in this world. 20:56 It isn't that God offers you a choice between Him and nothing. 21:01 It's God's plan to fill your life 21:03 with all of the best blessings. 21:06 But there's a spiritual war raging right at this moment, 21:10 as we speak, right now. 21:13 A war we are caught right in the middle of. 21:16 The stakes are high: eternity. 21:20 The reason Jesus came to this world was to demonstrate to us 21:23 that there's something bigger than what we see in the world 21:26 around us, something enduring, something more important. 21:32 The trouble is we often see what's around us 21:34 as more important or even more meaningful 21:37 than that which is around us but we cannot actually see. 21:40 Pays to remember Shakespeare again-- 21:43 this time from "The Merchant of Venice": 21:46 "All that glisters is not gold." 21:50 The truth is we live in a world that increasingly reflects 21:55 the character of Satan. 21:57 He's made a mess of this world, 21:59 a world that is now characterized by pain, 22:02 suffering, and death. 22:05 But even though this world is in terrible shape, 22:07 most of the people in it are caught up in chasing 22:11 the selfishness-based goal Satan has set up, 22:15 the gods of money, 22:16 pleasure, status, 22:17 fame, and power. 22:20 They're on a road to nowhere. 22:24 In this distracted world, steeped in selfishness, 22:27 it's the privilege of everyone who has taken the name of Jesus 22:31 to demonstrate through their lives, words, and actions 22:35 that there's another way, 22:37 a way that's based on lovingkindness. 22:40 It's the Christian's role to demonstrate 22:42 the character of Jesus to others in words and actions. 22:46 Like the trees, we're to witness to the character of Christ 22:50 and pass on blessings to others in our interactions. 22:54 And here's the thing; 22:55 if we don't do this, how are people going to know? 22:58 How will people know that God's kingdom of lovingkindness 23:01 opposes Satan's kingdom of selfishness? 23:06 It's a big responsibility-- and a great opportunity. 23:10 There are some interesting implications arising 23:12 out of this great privilege that God has given us. 23:16 Think about this: 23:17 It's impossible, really, to be an island of lovingkindness 23:22 in a world that's drowning in selfishness. 23:25 You can't constantly give, give, give 23:28 in a world that takes and takes and takes. 23:30 At least not of yourself. 23:34 So in order to, in order to carry out that role 23:37 that God has placed upon our hearts, 23:39 what we need is something special. 23:40 We need the person of Jesus dwelling in us. 23:44 What God's plan is, is to show Himself through you, 23:49 for Jesus to live His life in you, 23:52 and then shine out of you 23:54 and let others see Jesus in your life. 23:58 It can be done. 23:59 It's a fantastic privilege. 24:01 That's the kind of relationship that God wants to have with you. 24:05 ♪[soft piano music]♪ 24:07 [waves rushing, birds twittering] 24:13 And there's another implication. 24:15 We can't show the world what a different system is like 24:18 unless we are...different. 24:22 Jesus doesn't call on us to compete in the world 24:24 on the world's terms, fully immersed in selfishness, 24:27 then go to church to gloss it over. 24:30 Jesus calls on us to be His disciples, 24:33 His witnesses. 24:34 He calls on us to reject selfishness, 24:37 to live out lovingkindness and proclaim Jesus and His character 24:41 through our words and actions. 24:44 This call that Jesus is giving us 24:45 makes many people uncomfortable because in order to do this, 24:49 you've got to embrace the gospel of Jesus, 24:51 where selfishness is put to death 24:54 and Jesus lives His life in you. 24:56 Less of us, less of our will; 24:59 more of Jesus, more of God's will. 25:02 And yet we can't be part of two systems. 25:05 Either we're followers of Christ, 25:07 dedicated to lovingkindness and passing blessings 25:10 to those around us, 25:11 or we're followers of the world, 25:13 and we are dedicated to selfishness. 25:17 Where are you with that? 25:19 You don't want to be a mixture of the two. 25:20 In the end, everyone's going to be one or the other. 25:25 Beginning the transformation to being fully a follower of Jesus 25:30 isn't hard. 25:31 Jesus is waiting to walk with us and support us through each step 25:35 so that we have an amazing sequel with Him 25:38 after our lives on this earth. 25:40 The process begins when you give your life to Jesus, 25:43 when you tell Him you want to follow Him, 25:45 when you invite Him in to guide you 25:48 and live His life in you and dwell in your heart. 25:52 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 25:54 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 25:58 To support this international life-changing ministry, 26:01 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 26:05 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:07 to the address on your screen, 26:08 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:12 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 26:15 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 26:19 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:23 >>John Bradshaw: Let's pray together now. 26:25 Our Father in heaven, we thank You so much 26:27 that Jesus makes the eternal difference, 26:30 that there is a great Savior willing to come into the lives 26:32 of even the most broken people, 26:35 the most seemingly helpless people, 26:37 sometimes the most discouraged people. 26:39 He's ready to come into every life and remake that life 26:44 and give every believer the assurance 26:47 that she or he is a child of God. 26:51 We thank You that in spite of the chaos of this world, 26:54 we can look beyond this world 26:57 to an eternity filled with Your presence, 27:00 an eternity without sin, 27:02 an eternity of life everlasting. 27:05 We claim it today. Friend, do you claim it? 27:08 Do you claim that through Jesus? 27:09 You can have it now by faith. 27:11 Just tell Jesus Himself, 27:13 "I accept everlasting life from You. 27:16 I believe You give me the gift of everlasting life. 27:19 I believe You forgive my sins and give me a new heart." 27:23 We thank You, Lord, for doing that. 27:25 We claim it gratefully. 27:27 In Jesus' name. 27:29 Amen. 27:31 Thank you so much for joining me. 27:32 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:34 Until then, remember: 27:36 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:40 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:44 ♪[theme music]♪ |
Revised 2019-12-10