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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ001108A
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00:01 ♪ Drums ♪ It's right here in San Antonio,
00:08 Texas, America. An ancient cathedral but it's really one of 00:13 the most famous battle sights in history. A few brave men taking 00:18 on entire army. And what's amazing is that this disaster 00:23 actually led to the creation of a new state and a new country. 00:28 This is the very place where Davy Crockett the famed 00:34 frontiersman and James Bowie the renowned knife fighter and 00:38 Colonel William Travis took a stand for freedom and changed 00:43 the course of history. Come with me and let's take a look at the 00:48 intriguing Battle of the Alamo. 00:53 ♪ ♪ 01:17 Texas. It's the second largest American state in both size and 01:22 population, but it's second to none when it comes to state 01:27 pride. When you visit Texas you soon find out that everything 01:31 really is bigger in Texas. Texas produces more crude oil than 01:35 any other state in the U.S. It's also the leading cattle, cotton 01:39 and wool producer. Texas has the largest state capital building 01:44 of all the 50 states, the most airports, the largest ranch, the 01:49 first domed sports stadium and how about this? The first word 01:53 spoken from the moon was a Texas location. Texas is the 01:59 only state in the U.S. to have flown the flag of six separate 02:05 nations throughout its history. Spain, France, Mexico, the 02:10 Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America 02:13 and the United States of America It's all part of that pride of 02:19 Texas being bigger, stronger, better, faster, richer. To 02:23 understand this state pride and history we're going to visit 02:28 where modern Texas actually began dramatically. Where it 02:33 began quite unexpectedly. In 1519 the Spanish explorer Alonzo 02:44 Alvarez de Pineda was the first European to reach Texas. Other 02:50 Spanish explorers soon followed. They claimed the land for Spain. 02:54 The Spanish wanted to protect their new territory and guard 03:00 against anyone else claiming it. They decided that the best way 03:04 to do this was to build a chain of five missions along the San 03:08 Antonio River. The mission system was developed with three 03:12 major purposes in mind. Firstly to spread the Christian message 03:17 and convert the native Americans to the Catholic faith. Secondly 03:21 to extend Spanish civilization by introducing the Spanish way 03:26 of life to the native Americans and thirdly to defend the 03:31 norther border of the Spanish empire in the Americas. So the 03:35 five frontier mission complexes established along a 12 km 03:39 stretch of the San Antonio River were the Spanish crown's effort 03:44 to evangelize, colonize and defend the northern frontier of 03:49 New Spain. If Spain could recruit the natives to become 03:53 members of the Catholic church and citizens of Spain it could 03:58 claim and control the entire region of Texas. Catholic 04:03 missionaries taught the local natives specific vocations. The 04:08 men learned farming skills, carpentry, blacksmithing, 04:12 ranching, masonry, stone cutting and building. The woman were 04:17 taught textile weaving, sewing, cooking and hand crafts. The 04:22 missionaries introduced the natives to the Spanish way of 04:26 life. They endeavored to make life in the mission communities 04:30 similar to that of Spanish villages. Military forces were 04:35 often located in the vicinity of each mission to offer protection 04:39 and enforce law and order. This chain of missions became the 04:44 largest concentration of Catholic missions in North 04:47 America. The southernmost mission was San Francisco de la 04:52 Espada. It was established here in 1731 and was known for its 04:57 beautiful chapel and unique stone entrance. It was the only 05:01 mission to make bricks and so the influence of the native 05:05 artisans from this mission is evident throughout the region. 05:10 Several kilometers upstream Mission San Juan was established 05:14 in the same year, 1731. It became the supplier of iron, 05:19 wood, leather, and cloth products made by the local Indians in its 05:25 worship. It was also a center for agriculture with its rich 05:29 farm and pasture lands. It was a regional supplier of 05:33 agricultural products. The next in the chain is Mission San Jose 05:39 It was founded in 1720 and is the largest mission in the area. 05:44 It has an imposing church with large picturesque arches. The 05:49 size of the complex along with the unique architecture of the 05:53 church and the richness of its fields ensured that it became a 05:58 major social center in the region. Several kilometers 06:03 farther upstream is Mission Conception. It's considered the 06:08 most attractive of the missions. It's an imposing cross-shaped 06:13 structure with a beautiful interior. Of all the missions 06:17 this is the only church building that has never collapsed. Today 06:22 it's the oldest unrestored stone church in America. The fifth and 06:27 last of the five mission is the oldest and unquestionably the 06:33 most famous, San Antonio de Valero. This building attracts 06:38 people from all over the world. It has an ornate facade and a 06:43 distinctive architectural _ This complex, the church, this 06:49 shrine was established in 1718. By the late 1700s the number of 06:55 native converts had dwindled in most of the Spanish missions and 06:59 the rich lands were coveted by others. In order to defend its 07:05 land Spain sent soldiers to the region and in 1903, 100 Spanish 07:11 soldiers and their families from Mexico moved into the mission. 07:15 The mission's old convent became an army barrack and the second 07:20 story became a military hospital the first hospital in Texas. 07:25 Soon people were calling the old mission the Alamo. But trouble 07:31 was brewing. Mexico's people grew unhappy with Spanish rule. 07:36 They wanted to govern themselves In 1821 Mexico finally won its 07:41 independence from Spain and gained control of Texas. Texas 07:46 became a troubled area for the new Mexican government. Megav 07:50 Indians who lived here often fought with the Mexicans who 07:54 moved into the area. The government decided that the 07:57 solution was to develop the area Now to do this they needed more 08:02 people, more settlers living in Texas. So they offered cheap 08:07 land to U.S. citizens who promised to settle here. 08:11 But then in 1830 Mexico's President Bustamonte banned 08:15 U.S. citizens from immigrating to Texas. The land was so cheap 08:20 and plentiful here and apparently too many 08:23 Americans were coming in and settling here. In fact, there 08:27 were more Americans than Mexicans living in Texas and the 08:31 Mexican president saw them as a threat, so he outlawed them. 08:35 Now this made the American colonists very angry. They held 08:40 a convention and proposed that Texas break away and become a 08:45 separate state. This city of San Antonio, a little colony 08:50 back then, was captured by the rebellious Texans with Steven 08:55 Austin in 1835. Now Austin was the commander of the Texan army 08:59 and they fortified this Alamo, this former mission that was a 09:03 bit like a fortress in the center of town. In 1836, the 09:08 Texans formerly declared independence at Washington on 09:12 The Brazos. Now the battles really began. But this is rather 09:17 odd because General Sam Houston had felt that holding San 09:21 Antonio and the Alamo was impossible and unnecessary 09:26 because most of the U.S. colonists were settled far to 09:30 the east of this city in Texas. So he sent Jim Bowie, famous 09:35 knife fighter here. Orders were to destroy the Alamo and return 09:40 with all the men and artillery stationed here. But Bowie 09:44 decided to ignore Houston's orders. He felt San Antonio 09:48 should be defended. It seemed the most important town in Texas 09:52 and these men had accurate rifles and a handful of canons. 09:56 Maybe this small number of Texans could hold the city 10:00 indefinitely against all the odds The official commander here was 10:06 Lieutenant Colonel William Travis. He had about 200 10:10 defenders and half of them weren't even enlisted soldiers, 10:14 just volunteers. Technically they could come and go as they 10:18 pleased. They also wanted to listen to the famous knife 10:22 fighter and frontiersman Jim Bowie more than Travis. 10:25 Mexican General Santa Anna came here with a big army and laid 10:31 siege to the area. The defenders had to retreat into the relative 10:36 safety of the Alamo. The men looked out from these walls and 10:41 saw something. A red flag. What did that mean? Well it meant 10:46 no quarter would be given from Santa Anna. No life would be 10:51 spared even with surrender. Everyone was going to die. 10:56 And under siege these men had to sometimes forage to get 11:00 supplies. Fortunately, they did have a well the Convento dug in 11:05 the 1700s. Those 200 Alamo defenders got their water here. 11:11 Sometimes gathered here, but they needed more. More soldiers 11:15 Colonel Travis busied himself sending out requests for help. 11:21 And just a few groups managed to come in through enemy lines. 11:26 Inside the Alamo compound there's a monument just outside 11:32 the long barrack to 32 brave men who made their way somehow from 11:36 the nearby settlement of Gonzales. And yes, they would 11:41 perish like the others. Now here's where legend begins. This 11:45 plaque commemorates the William Travis line. Colonel Travis 11:50 realized that the situation of the Alamo defenders was hopeless 11:55 They were all going to die. And so on the night of March 5, he 12:00 took his sword and he drew a line in the sand. He challenged 12:04 his battle-weary men this way as the plaque says. Those 12:14 Every man stepped across that line. Well it seemed like 12:19 everyone. One man actually fled the Alamo that night. Now 12:23 by then Jim Bowie was sick in bed with a debilitating illness, 12:27 but he asked his men to carry him across the line. He just had 12:33 to still be one of the defenders Those defenders made a statement 12:39 They took a stand. They were committed to the cause of 12:43 independence. They wanted freedom and they were willing to 12:46 die for it. Now let's look at the actual Alamo battle. In 1836 12:57 this building saw the battle begin and get more and more 13:01 brutal. The people inside the Alamo were surrounded. The 13:06 defenders had to retreat inside once the outer walls had been 13:12 breached. They held off the Mexican forces for 13 days. Then 13:17 early in the morning on March 6, Santa Anna's soldiers fully 13:21 attacked from their siege. They attacked the Alamo walls from 13:26 all sides. These 200 Alamo men put up quite a fight. They had 13:31 rifles, they had canons. They blazed out from these walls and 13:35 cut down many enemy soldiers, but more and more kept coming 13:40 and soon the Mexican soldiers had succeeded in climbing the 13:44 walls. In the end there were just too many soldiers in that 13:49 enemy army. In 90 minutes they had broken into the Alamo. They 13:53 had broken through the gates on the north side, broken through 13:57 the stone walls. The Mexicans poured into the compound. The 14:01 Texans retreated to the long barracks to make a stand. 14:05 They piled mattresses up against the doors. The Mexicans simply 14:10 rolled canons up to the doors and fired killing just about all 14:15 the defenders. Only a handful were taken as prisoners, but 14:19 they were quickly executed. Just some women and children in this 14:22 compound were spared. Now this seems like a disaster, right? 14:31 Many didn't actually need to be here, half of them volunteers, 14:36 putting up a hopeless fight, all of them killed. The Alamo 14:40 was indeed a tragedy. And yet, it would lead to the 14:45 independence of this state. It would lead to Texas becoming 14:51 essentially a nation. It would lead to freedom. Yes, Texas made 14:57 quite a stand here for freedom. And I believe there's a way that 15:02 each one of us can identify with another stand that creates a 15:07 remarkable kind of freedom. Do you realize that God actually 15:12 made a stand in the person of Jesus Christ? He came into a 15:16 world of cruelty and bloodshed. He came into a world of constant 15:21 war and endless conflicts in the human heart. And he gave himself 15:26 up at a certain spot, a hill called Golgotha. He laid his 15:32 body down on the cross. Yes, the battle of the Alamo strikingly 15:38 pictures the stand made by Jesus Christ at Golgotha. That Messiah 15:41 that hero enables each of us no matter what our losses, what our 15:48 problems to get into a new kingdom, a new kingdom of heaven 15:54 This is what Jesus proclaimed in Mark chapter 1 and verse 15: 16:06 Accepting Christ, accepting his sacrifice in our place does 16:11 create a new kingdom for us. We belong as beloved sons and 16:17 daughters to this Divine Royalty We have an identity in heaven. 16:23 We have a place where we can find peace and be secure. Yes, 16:28 it can come to us in the midst of our worst troubles. When 16:33 Jesus freed individuals from oppression, when he brought them 16:37 peace he said in Luke chapter 11 and verse 20: 16:46 The stand that Jesus Christ made on that hill did indeed create a 16:53 new nation. And each of us can be citizens of his kingdom. Let 16:58 me tell you specifically how the battle of the Alamo led to 17:03 freedom. That fight actually proved quite costly for Santa 17:08 Anna the Mexican general He lost about 600 soldiers that day and 17:13 several of his officers were appalled that he didn't wait for 17:17 some canons being brought to the battlefield, wait for a much 17:22 better bombardment. But here's what made a real impact in Texas 17:27 the martyrdom of those inside this Alamo. Word got out about 17:32 the heroic defense mounted by 200 outnumbered men. It spread. 17:37 it inspired many new recruits to flock to the cause. The ranks 17:42 of the Texan army swelled. In less than two months General Sam 17:47 Houston would crush the Mexicans in the battle of San Jacinto. He 17:51 He destroyed a large part of the Mexican army and captured 17:56 General Santa Anna himself. And as they ran into battle, those 18:02 Texans shouted, Remember the Alamo! as a battle cry. That 18:06 battle ended the war and gave birth to the Republic of Texas 18:12 on April 21, 1836. So the Alamo played an important part in the 18:18 formation of America and impacted world history. It led 18:22 to the annexation of Texas by the United States and ultimately 18:27 to America expanding its borders to the Pacific Ocean. It gave 18:32 the United States vast new territories, full of wealth and 18:36 promise that contributed to its role as a world power that has 18:41 played a major role in world affairs. This tower celebrates 18:47 that. It's the Spirit of Sacrifice Cenotaph Sculpted from 18:52 Georgia marble it stands on a base of pink Texas granite. You 18:56 see sculptures around it paying tribute to the men who died 19:01 rather than surrender to overwhelming odds. According to 19:05 tradition this Alamo Cenotaph marks the very spot where the 19:10 slain defenders of the fortified mission were piled after the 19:15 battle and burned in great funeral piles. Their remains 19:19 were later collected by located by local citizens and today are 19:23 located in a model casket at nearby San 19:26 Fernando Cathedral. And here's what it says: They chose never 19:32 to surrender nor retreat. These brave hearts with flags still 19:37 proudly waving, perished in the flames of immortality that their 19:42 high sacrifice might lead to the founding of this Texas. Yes, 19:50 today the battle of the Alamo has achieved legendary status 19:53 particularly in Texas. The defenders are remembered as 19:58 great heroes, Bowie and Travis and others all have things named 20:03 after them including cities, counties, parks, schools and 20:07 more. Well, what about that other stand, that stand of 20:12 Christ on a hill called Golgotha I believe each of us 20:16 has a choice 20:18 to make when we're confronted with this remarkable life that 20:22 spilled out before us at the cross. What are we going to do 20:26 with this God who sacrifices himself, with this God who takes 20:31 on the penalty of our sins, with this God who takes a stand for 20:36 our freedom? You see the Bible says that we're all sinners, 20:41 that we've all made mistakes and rebelled against God and deep 20:45 down we know that's true. The Bible also tells us that the 20:50 penalty for sin, for rebellion against God, is death. But God 20:55 is love and he couldn't bear the thought of us dying for our sins 21:00 and so he took a stand against sin and evil and he gave his Son 21:05 Jesus to die in our place and pay the penalty for our sins. 21:09 And now he offers us the gift of forgiveness and gives us 21:14 freedom. Please notice what the Bible says here in Romans 21:18 chapter 6 and verse 23: 21:30 So how can we respond to God and his offer? Well, I believe we 21:33 have to take a stand ourselves. Each of us must choose this 21:38 place as our starting point. Here where Christ poured out his 21:45 life I'm going to begin my life. It's true. If you don't stand 21:49 for something you'll fall for anything. And plenty of people 21:53 are falling in our world today. They're falling into animosity 21:58 into conflict and we can make a stand and the cross is the place 22:04 to make it. It's where we stand for freedom. It's where we 22:08 accept our responsibility for our problems. It's where we find 22:12 forgiveness. It's where we can stake a claim to the love the 22:17 heavenly Father offers his lost children. Let me show you one of 22:21 the most fascinating stands in San Antonio. This is the tower 22:28 of the Americas, a 250 meter observation town and restaurant 22:33 located in downtown San Antonio. Looking out these windows you 22:39 get a very clear view of how much Texas has grown since that 22:43 battle of the Alamo, how much it has taken in through freedom. 22:49 And the tower of the Americas also reflects the tower of 22:52 Golgotha, that cross of Christ. So much can come our way when 22:57 we stand fast in the true grace that comes to us from the cross. 23:01 The cross is where peace begins. It's where grace begins. It's 23:08 where freedom spreads out. Listen to Paul's great challenge 23:12 in Galatians chapter five and verse one: 23:27 Christ paid the ultimate price for our freedom. He made a stand 23:32 He carried the cross to Calvary. He hung alone there between 23:37 heaven and earth. So please make a stand there. Don't go back to 23:43 a life of bondage. Rather focus on Jesus and a life that speaks 23:49 to you at Calvary. When Christ gave up his life he was 23:55 stretching out his arms to the end. Not just because they were 23:59 nailed to the wood. No, he was stretched out in forgiveness. 24:05 They know not what they do. He was stretched out in acceptance. 24:09 You will be with me in Paradise. That's the kind of stand he made 24:15 and we need to make a stand with the one who gave himself up who 24:20 stands for freedom. Are you ready to go to that place? Are 24:26 you ready to bring your life to a hill called Calvary? Are you 24:30 ready to confess your sins? Are you ready to look the crucified 24:34 Christ in the eye and say, Here I am. I invite you to make your 24:40 stand right now with the God of grace and freedom. I invite you 24:45 to place your trust entirely in the one who takes on all your 24:50 burdens and gives you freedom right now as we pray. 24:55 Dear Father, we come just as we are to the cross of Jesus Christ 25:02 We come not because we're good enough but because we need the 25:07 life that is poured out there for each one of us. We need 25:11 your forgiveness. We need your accepting us as sons and 25:15 daughters of God. Thank you for making a sacrificial stand at 25:21 Calvary. Thank you for dying in our place and laying down your 25:24 life for our redemption. We accept this gladly and 25:29 gratefully in the name of our Savior Jesus, Amen. 25:36 The battle of the Alamo where 200 brave men took a stand for 25:43 freedom and changed the course of history continues to inspire 25:46 people around the world. Their story resonates with us because 25:51 we value freedom and understand its importance. Freedom allows 25:55 us to speak, act, pursue happiness and live life as we 26:00 choose. God intends that we should be free and happy and has 26:05 placed the desire for freedom in our hearts. That's his plan 26:09 for our lives. And in the Bible he shares the secrets of freedom 26:14 and true happiness. If you would like to know more about 26:17 God's plan for your life and the freedom that he offers then I'd 26:22 like to recommend a free gift we have for all our viewers today. 26:25 It's a booklet called The Secrets of Freedom: Worth the 26:30 Sacrifice. This booklet is our gift to you and is absolutely 26:35 free. There are no costs or obligations whatsoever. This 26:40 booklet will provide you with a new insight into the importance 26:44 of true freedom and happiness and how to find it. So please 26:49 don't miss this wonderful opportunity to receive the free 26:53 gift we have for you today. Here's the information you need: 26:57 Phone us now on 0481315101 or text us on 0491222999 or visit 27:12 our website: theincrediblejourney.tv to 27:17 request today's free offer. So don't delay. Contact us right 27:21 now. ♪ ♪ 27:31 If you've enjoyed today's journey, be sure to join us 27:35 again next week when we will share another of life's 27:38 life's journeys together and experience another new and 27:41 thought provoking perspective on the peace, insight, 27:45 understanding and hope that only the Bible can give us. The 27:52 Incredible Journey truly is television that changes lives. 27:55 Until next week, remember the ultimate destination of life's 28:00 journey. Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth. And God will 28:05 wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more 28:09 death nor sorrow nor crying. There shall be no more pain for 28:13 the former things have passed away. 28:15 ♪ ♪ |
Revised 2020-09-12