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Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW023263S
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00:16 ♪[music ends]♪♪
00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:23 Standing at the side of an enormous memorial 00:26 a little more than 30 miles from the Spanish capital, Madrid, 00:30 is the world's largest cross. 00:33 It's almost 500 feet tall, 150 meters. 00:38 It's about as tall as a 50-story building. 00:41 The cross stands on top of a 3,000-foot-tall mountain, 00:44 so it can be seen from miles away. 00:48 It's part of a complex called the Valley of the Fallen, 00:51 which features, among other things, 00:53 a church and a monastery. 00:55 For more than 40 years, 00:57 Spanish dictator Francisco Franco was buried there. 01:01 Owing to the controversial nature of Franco's rule-- 01:04 estimates say he was responsible 01:06 for the deaths of between 30,000 and 50,000 people-- 01:11 Franco's body was exhumed in 2019 and relocated 01:15 to a cemetery in Madrid, where he was laid to rest 01:18 a second time, this time next to his wife. 01:22 Now, while Franco is gone, that cross remains. 01:28 It's impossible to miss as it reaches into the sky 01:32 reminding people--well, reminding people what, exactly? 01:40 The cross is ubiquitous in Western society. 01:44 It's everywhere. 01:46 And even in the secular age, it can only mean one thing: 01:51 the death of Jesus, who 2,000 years ago died on a cross. 01:56 His death and subsequent resurrection 01:58 gave rise to Easter, observed today in dozens of countries 02:02 around the world. 02:04 Of course, much of what gets lumped into commemorating 02:07 the death and resurrection of Jesus has nothing to do 02:10 with either the death or the resurrection of Jesus. 02:13 Several pagan customs have been absorbed 02:15 into the Christian celebration of Easter, 02:18 not surprising, considering pagan customs 02:21 crept into Christianity itself. 02:23 Eggs and rabbits, which are totally unrelated 02:26 to the death of Jesus, 02:28 were ancient symbols of new life and fertility. 02:32 Add commercialism to the mix, and Easter became an opportunity 02:36 to sell copious quantities of chocolate 02:38 and other Easter items, such as hot cross buns, 02:41 while crowding out of the spotlight the actual event 02:45 that gave rise to Easter. 02:47 And unlike a national holiday or observance, 02:49 such as the Fourth of July or Australia Day, say, 02:52 the date of Easter moves. 02:55 Easter Sunday occurs on the first Sunday after the full moon 02:59 that occurs on or after the vernal, or spring, equinox. 03:03 That's the day when there's an almost identical amount 03:05 of darkness and daylight. [crickets chirp] 03:07 This confusing calculation is an attempt to associate 03:10 the date of Easter with the timing of the Jewish Passover. 03:14 Easter is when Christians commemorate the death of Jesus, 03:18 the crucifixion of Jesus on a cross, 03:21 which itself has been used as pagan symbol. 03:24 It's thought that crucifixion originated with the Assyrians 03:27 and the Babylonians. 03:27 Five or six hundred years before Christ, 03:30 it was used by the Persians, 03:32 then by the Greeks before it was perfected by the Romans. 03:37 The thing about crucifixion, as employed by the Romans, 03:41 wasn't just the pain. 03:42 Oh, crucifixion was painful, brutally so. 03:46 But beyond the pain, the cross was akin to the gallows 03:50 or the electric chair. 03:51 It was where criminals met their fate. 03:55 It was a symbol of shame, defeat, condemnation. 04:01 And given that crucifixion victims were executed naked, 04:05 it was a shameful, undignified way for a person to die. 04:10 It was utter humiliation. 04:13 If you were crucified, you were the offscouring of the earth. 04:18 And Jesus was crucified. 04:22 So, why the cross for Jesus? 04:26 The Bible says He "did no sin." 04:30 But He got under the skin of the Jewish leaders 04:32 to the extent that they wanted Him gone. 04:35 And because they had no authority, legally, 04:37 to execute anyone, they appealed to the Roman authorities, 04:41 who sentenced Him to be executed. 04:44 Even though He wasn't a criminal, 04:46 certain people wanted Him dead. 04:49 Jesus had swept away the rubbish 04:51 under which truth had been buried. 04:54 But the religious leaders felt, in Israel, 04:57 that He was sweeping away the truth itself. 05:01 And He died as a result. 05:03 But why did Jesus have to die-- from a biblical perspective? 05:10 Let's go back to the beginning, just after Creation, 05:14 to the first promise ever made. 05:17 It was made by God, and it was made to you and me, essentially. 05:21 The first promise made in the Bible was a gospel promise. 05:24 Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, 05:27 God spoke to the serpent that tempted them and said, 05:32 "I will put enmity between you and the woman, 05:35 "and between your seed and her Seed; 05:38 "He shall bruise your head, 05:41 and you shall bruise His heel." 05:43 That's Genesis 3:15. 05:46 Now, let's analyze that a little. 05:48 Speaking to Satan, God said, there will be "enmity 05:52 between you and the woman," 05:54 God's people down through time, the church. 05:58 Saying there would be enmity between the devil and the church 06:01 was a promise that there was a way out of sin for sinners. 06:05 Turning their backs on God and surrendering to temptation 06:09 left Adam and Eve fundamentally flawed. 06:12 They were broken. Sin had taken hold of them. 06:16 That was a desperate situation. 06:18 As long as they were surrendered to God, 06:20 living in connection with God, they were protected. 06:24 But when they chose to go it alone 06:25 and follow the suggestions of the devil, they were altered. 06:29 Connected to the heart of God, 06:31 they were one with God in purity and holiness. 06:34 But no more. 06:35 And they couldn't remake themselves or fix themselves. 06:40 They were created to live forever. 06:43 As long as they remained connected to God, trusting God, 06:47 they could look forward to eternity. 06:50 But when they turned away from God and sinned, 06:53 they forfeited the gift of eternal life. 06:56 It's as though they said, "Thanks for creating us, God, 06:59 but we're going to go on our own way without You." 07:03 But, of course, there is no other way. 07:06 It's either life with God or death without God. 07:13 But God offered Adam and Eve a way out. 07:17 God would provide a path to repentance. 07:20 He would put enmity between His people and Satan. 07:24 God said, "He"--the Seed of the woman-- 07:26 "shall bruise your head." 07:28 That's God saying a descendant of Eve 07:31 would ultimately crush Satan. 07:34 Good news for Adam and Eve-- and good news for the world: 07:38 Satan would ultimately be defeated. 07:41 But notice God said to Satan, 07:43 "And you shall bruise His heel." 07:47 While Satan would be defeated, 07:48 heaven wouldn't get out of this unscathed. 07:52 Jesus Christ would be bruised. 07:55 He would die for the sins of human beings. 07:59 And this was illustrated shortly after. 08:02 When Adam and Eve realized that they were naked, 08:04 they stitched together fig leaves to cover themselves. 08:08 God provided clothing for them, skins, 08:12 the skins of animals from the Garden of Eden. 08:16 There hadn't been any death until that time. 08:19 But now, as a consequence of sin, death came into the world. 08:25 Genesis 3:21 says, "For Adam and his wife 08:29 the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them." 08:33 Something had to die to provide a covering for Adam and Eve. 08:39 Someone had to die. 08:41 The death of those animals prefigured the death of Jesus. 08:46 But that's clothing we're talking about. 08:48 Where's the faith connection? 08:50 When Adam and Eve sinned, 08:51 along with losing what had covered their nakedness, 08:54 they lost much more: 08:56 They lost their righteousness. 08:59 And that's where we find ourselves today: unrighteous. 09:03 Paul wrote, "Do you not know that the unrighteous 09:06 will not inherit the kingdom of God?" 09:10 He said, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." 09:15 Jesus died so that we could receive righteousness. 09:19 We have none of our own. 09:22 The prophet Isaiah wrote 09:23 that "all our righteousnesses are...filthy rags." 09:28 Sinners are unrighteous. 09:30 Jeremiah showed us the seriousness of our situation 09:33 when he wrote, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, 09:37 "or the leopard his spots? 09:39 Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." 09:45 Sin came into the world. 09:46 And in order for sinful human beings 09:48 to be reconnected with a holy God, 09:50 we need righteousness that we do not have. 09:53 God is inherently pure. 09:55 In order to be happy in His presence throughout eternity, 09:58 we need to be fundamentally altered so that our hearts 10:01 and God's heart beat to the same rhythm. 10:05 That's possible only one way: 10:08 through receiving, by faith, the righteousness of Jesus. 10:14 In a moment, we'll find out why being spiritual 10:18 isn't nearly the same as being saved. 10:22 I'll be right back. 10:23 ♪[cheerful music swells and ends]♪♪ 10:32 >>Announcer: The cross is a symbol of Christianity 10:34 for millions of people around the world. 10:36 But beyond the symbol, there is power in the cross, 10:39 power God wants you to experience. 10:42 Learn more by requesting today's free offer, 10:44 "The Power of the Cross." 10:46 To receive "The Power of the Cross," 10:48 call 800-253-3000 10:51 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 10:54 Experience "The Power of the Cross." 10:57 Call 800-253-3000 10:59 or visit iiwoffer.com. 11:03 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 11:06 As I drove along a certain street, I was intrigued 11:10 to see a spiritual center in a row of stores. 11:14 A spiritual center--that's where you can buy items 11:17 which help you to be spiritual. 11:20 No, not Bibles, 11:22 but crystals and incense and jewelry. 11:25 The spiritual center claims to deal with healing 11:28 and offers reiki and clairvoyance, 11:30 as well as mediums and tarot card readings. 11:35 A "spiritual" center. 11:37 Of course, there's nothing Christian about all that, 11:39 and none of it can help you one bit in terms of eternity. 11:43 The Bible says God's law is spiritual. 11:46 It speaks about spiritual songs, 11:48 how a spiritual person should seek to restore a sinner, 11:52 and about spiritual gifts. 11:54 The spiritual center had nothing to do 11:57 with the spirituality of the Bible. 12:01 The problem human beings face is not that we're not spiritual, 12:06 but that we're not righteous. 12:08 It seems it's more common now for people to talk about 12:10 how they're not Christian but spiritual. 12:13 But a faith journey oriented towards heaven 12:16 isn't a quest to be spiritual in a general sense 12:20 or even to be a good person, 12:22 because there's honestly no such thing in biblical terms. 12:26 Every human being alive is a sinner, 12:29 and the only one who is good is God. 12:33 What sinners need is righteousness, cleansing, 12:36 forgiveness. 12:38 And the only place to obtain that is through faith in Jesus. 12:43 Second Corinthians 5:21 says, 12:46 "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, 12:51 that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 12:55 Jesus' death opened up to us the opportunity 12:58 to triumph over sin and its penalty, 13:01 in fact, even over its power and its presence. 13:07 When Adam and Eve fell into sin, 13:09 their very nature became corrupted. 13:12 In and of themselves they would have neither the power 13:14 nor the desire to resist evil. 13:18 And that, of course, extends to their posterity. 13:22 After eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 13:24 they would have the knowledge of evil. 13:27 They'd given Satan access to their hearts, 13:30 and he would be able to tempt them from that time onwards. 13:33 They would know anxiety and grief and pain--and death. 13:38 They were sinners now. 13:40 That one sin that seemed so small in Eve's eyes 13:43 opened the floodgates of misery to the world. 13:47 But the cross would stand against that. 13:50 Jesus' appointment with the cross was thousands of years 13:53 in the making. 13:54 The Bible says that Jesus was 13:56 "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" 13:58 in Revelation 13:8. 13:59 He was born to die. 14:01 And His death on the cross was predicted. 14:04 David wrote, "They divided my garments among them," 14:07 and "they pierced my hands and my feet" in Psalm 22. 14:12 David wrote about the agony of Christ's death 14:14 when he penned these words: 14:16 "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; 14:19 my heart is like wax; it has melted within me." 14:23 Psalm 22 again. 14:24 Isaiah wrote, "He was wounded for our transgressions, 14:27 He was bruised for our iniquities." 14:29 There's that word "bruised," 14:31 which we saw in Genesis, chapter 3. 14:33 "The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, 14:35 and by His stripes we are healed." 14:39 He described Jesus as being 14:40 like "a lamb [led] to the slaughter," saying, 14:43 "He was cut off from the land of the living." 14:46 He wrote that "it pleased the Lord to bruise Him." 14:49 Notice again: "bruise." 14:51 And that "He poured out His soul unto death, 14:53 "and He was numbered with the transgressors, 14:55 "and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession 14:58 for the transgressors." 14:59 It's all from Isaiah, chapter 53. 15:02 And in Isaiah 53 the prophet got to the crux of the matter 15:05 when he wrote about the life of Jesus 15:07 being "an offering for sin." 15:11 And that's why Jesus died: as an offering for sin, 15:15 for your sins. 15:17 Okay, but couldn't God have worked it out another way? 15:20 Why should Jesus die at all? Let's work this through. 15:26 In the Garden of Eden, God told our original grandparents that 15:29 eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil 15:32 would cause death. Disobedience would lead to death. 15:36 Here's why. John wrote in 1 John 5:12, 15:40 "He who has the Son has life; 15:43 he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 15:47 Now, that's not a rule imposed by God; it's a fixed law. 15:53 God gave life in the first place. 15:55 He then said, "I want you to retain this gift of life. 15:59 "Therefore, stay surrendered to me. Stay with me. 16:02 Stay connected to me." 16:05 Adam and Eve severed that connection 16:07 and became subject to death. 16:11 The earth that was created perfect was now tainted by sin. 16:16 Even the ground was cursed. 16:18 But that promise in Genesis 3, 16:20 in there was the plan of salvation. 16:24 But why did Jesus have to die for the sins of the world? 16:27 Why death? 16:29 The law of God had been broken, 16:32 and as Paul wrote in the New Testament, 16:34 "The wages of sin is death." 16:37 He wrote in Galatians about "the curse of the law" 16:39 and how Jesus would assume the penalty of breaking the law, 16:43 becoming "a curse for us." 16:46 Sin brings death-- 16:47 not just death in this world, death from a heart attack, 16:50 not just that kind of death. 16:52 Sin brings the second death, the eternal death. 16:57 People created in the image of God 16:59 could now only look forward to death. 17:04 So how could they be saved from the penalty 17:06 that accompanies sin? 17:09 There was only one way. 17:12 Instead of Adam and Eve dying the second death for sin, 17:16 Jesus volunteered to die in their place. 17:20 He couldn't set aside the penalty for sin, 17:23 but He could assume it Himself. 17:26 That way the penalty could still be levied, 17:28 the sanctity of God's law could still be respected, 17:31 justice could be served, 17:33 yet mercy could still be offered to sinful humans. 17:36 And Jesus could die for the breaking of the law 17:39 because it was His law. He was the Lawgiver. 17:42 He is as sacred as the law itself, 17:45 and so He could redeem people 17:46 from the penalty of breaking God's law. 17:49 He didn't have to. 17:50 Jesus didn't have to die for sinners and their sin. 17:54 He could simply have left humanity to itself. 17:57 So why did He choose to die? 18:00 Well, the well-known Bible verse tells us: 18:03 "For God so loved the world, 18:04 "that He gave His only begotten Son, 18:07 "that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, 18:11 but have everlasting life." 18:13 John 3:16. 18:15 How do you fully understand that kind of love? 18:19 At this side of eternity you don't fully understand it, 18:23 but you behold it and meditate on it. 18:26 You ponder it and wrestle with it 18:27 and try to comprehend that unfathomable love 18:30 revealed by the death of Jesus on the cross. 18:33 The weight of the sins of the entire world rested upon Jesus 18:37 as He went to the cross. 18:38 ♪[soft orchestral music]♪ 18:39 And He did it for you. 18:43 So what do you do 18:44 about the love demonstrated by the death of Jesus on the cross? 18:49 Let's consider that in just a moment. 18:52 ♪[cheerful music swells and ends]♪♪ 19:01 >>Announcer: The cross is a symbol of Christianity 19:03 for millions of people around the world. 19:06 But beyond the symbol, there is power in the cross, 19:09 power God wants you to experience. 19:11 Learn more by requesting today's free offer, 19:14 "The Power of the Cross." 19:15 To receive "The Power of the Cross," 19:17 call 800-253-3000 19:20 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 19:23 Experience "The Power of the Cross." 19:26 Call 800-253-3000 19:28 or visit iiwoffer.com. 19:32 >>John Bradshaw: Crystals, yoga, Ouija boards, 19:35 witchcraft are back in vogue. 19:38 What the Fox sisters popularized is now part of pop culture. 19:42 Books and movies about witchcraft, wizardry, 19:44 and magic are everywhere. 19:47 What's often said to be just entertainment 19:49 is part of something much larger and darker. 19:53 Don't miss "Dancing With the Devil," where we'll explore 19:56 the rise of the occult, and you'll meet a young woman 19:59 who overcame her involvement with the occult 20:02 through the power of God. 20:04 In a world where the media is saturated with occult imagery, 20:08 in a society where ghosts and demons are treated 20:11 as trivial and fun, it's never been more important 20:13 to discern between the sacred and the profane. 20:16 In "Dancing With the Devil," 20:18 you'll learn there's nothing new under the sun 20:20 and that the roots of what we see today 20:22 go all the way back to the origin of sin. 20:26 "Dancing With the Devil," 20:28 brought to you by It Is Written TV. 20:32 >>John Bradshaw: You can see crosses on churches 20:34 and hanging around necks to the point that the cross today 20:37 is little more than an architectural feature 20:40 or a fashion accessory-- 20:42 not quite what Jesus had in mind. 20:44 For the believer in Jesus, 20:46 the cross is where salvation became real. 20:50 It's where Jesus voluntarily gave His life, as He said, 20:54 "for the life of the world." 20:57 So what do you do about it, 20:59 about the single most powerful, most dramatic demonstration 21:05 of love for the world the universe has ever witnessed? 21:08 The cross was God showing humanity that His love 21:12 is beyond our ability to even imagine. 21:16 Who would expect that the divine Son of God would take it 21:19 upon Himself to give His life for a planet full of rebels? 21:24 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, 21:27 in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 21:32 Romans 5, verse 8. 21:35 At the cross God demonstrated His love for you. 21:39 There's no doubt now; 21:41 the cross shows you how much you mean to the heart of God. 21:45 Heaven would do whatever necessary 21:46 to reconcile a sinful world to itself, 21:50 to give sinners the opportunity to be saved. 21:54 John wrote in 1 John 4:19, 21:57 "We love Him, because He first loved us." 22:01 What else are you going to do? 22:04 You can't ignore the cross where a dying Savior 22:07 yielded His life to take your sin. 22:10 Look at the sanctuary service in ancient Israel. 22:12 The burnt offering represented Jesus, 22:15 an offering where everything was given as a sacrifice for sin. 22:19 Jesus gave all He had. 22:21 He gave Himself on account of sin--your sin. 22:26 You can have faith in Jesus as the offering for your sin. 22:32 As Paul wrote in Romans 7, 22:34 "O wretched man that I am! 22:37 Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" 22:40 He answered, "I thank God through Jesus Christ [my] Lord." 22:44 Romans 7:24 and 25. 22:46 Who shall deliver me? 22:48 Jesus delivered me. 22:50 And when did He do that? 22:52 When He died for me at the cross. 22:55 "Herein is love," John wrote, "not that we loved God, 22:59 "but that He loved us, and sent His Son 23:02 to be the propitiation for our sins." 23:04 First John 4, verse 10. 23:06 So, the cross, like nothing else, 23:10 enables you to see the love of God. 23:13 Gone are any arguments that suggest God does not love you. 23:17 At the cross we saw, in fact, we see the love of God. 23:22 And that love urges you to love God in return. 23:27 How can you not when you see so clearly that God loves you? 23:31 The love displayed at Calvary urges you to love others. 23:34 John wrote, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, 23:38 "because He laid down His life for us: 23:40 and we ought [also] to lay down our lives for the brethren." 23:45 That means that the cross is so powerful 23:48 that it not only convinces you of the love of God for you, 23:52 but it'll move you 23:53 to demonstrate the love of God to others. 23:57 Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, 23:59 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 24:02 "who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery 24:05 "to be equal with God: 24:07 "but made Himself of no reputation, 24:09 "and took upon Him the form of a servant, 24:11 "and was made in the likeness of men: 24:13 "and being found in fashion as a man, 24:16 "He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, 24:19 even the death of the cross." 24:22 The Bible writer says, emulate the mind of Christ. 24:27 Allow God to produce in your life the character of Jesus. 24:33 And there's something more. Paul wrote this: 24:36 "Always bearing about in the body 24:38 "the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus 24:42 might be made manifest in our body." 24:44 That's 2 Corinthians 4, verse 10. 24:46 In other words, He died for us so that He might live in us. 24:54 So the death of Jesus secures us forgiveness for our sins 24:58 and opens up to us the gift of everlasting life. 25:01 Sin brings death. That's an unalterable law. 25:04 But when death came to the human family, 25:07 Jesus stepped in and took our death 25:10 so that we may have His life. 25:13 As 1 Corinthians 15:3 says, "Christ died for our sins." 25:19 The cross reveals the love of God, 25:21 inspiring you to love God in return--and to love others. 25:25 And the cross urges you to allow Jesus to live His life in you. 25:29 That's the key to everlasting life: 25:31 surrendering to Jesus so that His will can be done 25:33 in your life, in your heart. 25:36 So let me ask you: 25:37 ♪[soft piano music]♪ 25:38 Are you willing to allow the power of the cross, 25:41 the impact of the cross, the love of the cross to impact you? 25:48 It's one thing to hear about the love of God, 25:51 the sacrifice Jesus made, but it's another to allow that love 25:55 to fill you, to accept the death of Jesus for you. 26:01 Will you do that today? 26:03 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 26:04 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 26:06 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 26:10 To support this international life-changing ministry, 26:13 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 26:17 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:19 to the address on your screen, 26:20 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:24 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 26:27 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 26:31 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:35 Let's pray together now. 26:37 Our Father in heaven, we remember the cross, 26:40 and we thank You for what Jesus did in giving His life for us. 26:44 That word, "thanks," it just seems so inadequate 26:47 when we consider the immensity of the sacrifice 26:49 that Jesus made, leaving heaven behind to become a human being 26:53 and live among men, 26:54 to die for us that we might receive His righteousness. 26:58 We thank You that Jesus took our sin. 27:00 He died that brutal death 27:02 that we might live a glorious everlasting life. 27:05 My friend, would you accept the death of Jesus for you? 27:08 You may be discouraged right now. 27:11 You may look at yourself and not believe 27:12 there's anything worth saving, but God looks at you, 27:15 and He sees what you may be through Jesus. 27:18 He sees you forgiven and cleansed because you claim 27:20 the forgiveness and cleansing that Jesus offers. 27:23 Would you accept that right now? 27:24 Would you say, "Jesus, be my Savior; 27:27 Heavenly Father, let the cross count for me"? 27:30 Friend, you may believe that Jesus' death was for you 27:34 so that you right now may be freed and forgiven 27:38 and cleansed and justified. 27:40 Father, we thank You for it, 27:41 and we believe it, don't we, friend? 27:43 We believe it, and we pray in Jesus' name. 27:47 Amen. 27:48 Thank you so much for joining me. 27:50 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:52 Until then, remember: 27:54 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:57 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 28:01 ♪[dramatic theme music]♪ 28:25 ♪[music ends]♪♪ |
Revised 2023-04-05