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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ001128A
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00:28 London is the world's most popular tourist destination and 00:32 one of the things that makes London so popular is that it has 00:36 just about everything including many famous British icons. After 00:42 Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and red double 00:46 decker buses, William Shakespeare is one of the most 00:50 popular and enduring icons of England. His plays have been 00:57 performed all over the world for the past 400 years and are more 01:01 popular than ever today. And this is where it all began. This 01:08 replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theater was built near the site 01:12 of the original in Southwark on the south bank of London's 01:17 River Thames. Most of Shakespeare's greatest plays 01:20 were performed here including Julius Caesar, Macbeth and 01:26 Hamlet. He is regarded as the greatest English writer in 01:31 history. Shakespeare's influence has been immense. He 01:36 introduced 3000 new words to the English language. He's the 01:41 second most quoted writer in the English language. Only the Bible 01:46 is quoted more than Shakespeare. It's no wonder Shakespeare is 01:51 considered by many to be the greatest writer of all time. But 01:57 despite his immense fame, talent and influence, he's not the all 02:02 time best seller in the English language. That honor belongs to 02:07 a criminal. The best selling book of all time authored in 02:12 English was written in a jail that was located in a building 02:16 on the old Stone Bridge here in Bedford, England about 100 km 02:21 from the Globe Theater in London This book has made a huge impact 02:26 It's reach and influence has been enormous. It's inspired, 02:31 encouraged and enlightened people around the world. It's 02:35 brought inner peace and happiness to many and maybe it 02:40 can do the same for you. So, stay tuned and hear all about it 02:44 in our program The Prisoner's Journey. 02:48 ♪ ♪ 03:14 No city in the world has impacted and influenced the 03:18 world like London and whether you realize it or not, this city 03:23 has shaped your destiny. There is hardly any part of the world 03:28 that London hasn't changed. The United States was founded in 03:34 reaction to London's edicts. Australia was first peopled by 03:39 London's criminals. Modern Canada, South Africa and New 03:44 Zealand were cultivated by London. India's course was 03:49 irrevocably changed by the aspiration of London's 03:53 businessmen. Yes, this city's reach has touched every 03:59 continent. It's people, language culture, music, poetry and drama 04:06 have gone everywhere. And no one typifies this more than 04:11 William Shakespeare. His work has been translated into 80 04:16 languages. Generations of school children have studied his plays 04:21 and theater lovers everywhere still turn out to see them. 04:27 Shakespeare's influence has been immense. He introduced more than 04:31 3000 words to the English language including critical, 04:37 frugal, excellent, barefaced, assassination and countless. 04:43 His vocabulary was double that of the average person and 04:49 consisted of about 29,000 words. His effortless use of words 04:56 allowed him to use over 7,000 words only once and never again. 05:02 That's more than words than occur in the entire Bible. It's 05:06 no wonder Shakespeare is considered by many to be the 05:09 greatest writer of all time. But despite his immense fame, talent 05:15 and influence, he's not the all time best seller in the English 05:20 language. The best-selling book of all time written in English 05:30 was authored by John Bunyan while he was serving a 12-year 05:35 jail sentence in the prison that was located here in the county 05:38 town of Bedford in the 17th century. Who was John Bunyan and 05:44 what was his all-time best selling book about? 05:51 ♪ ♪ 05:56 Well John Bunyan's story begins here in the heart of England in 06:00 the leafy county of Bedfordshire He was born in 1628, just 12 06:06 years after the death of William Shakespeare. He was 06:10 born in the tiny hamlet of Harrowden near the Ulster Abbey 06:15 church just south of Bedford. John was christened in this 06:19 church in the Norman Font on the 30th of November 1628 and as a 06:25 boy he attended church services here regularly with his family. 06:29 But he was not particularly religious and would rather be 06:33 out playing with his friends than attending church. The Abbey 06:38 church tower is detached from the church and contains six 06:42 bells. John Bunyan was a bell ringer here. The fifth bell is 06:47 commonly called the Bunyan bell because it is believed to be the 06:51 only one that Bunyan rang. Before church service, this 06:56 fifth bell could be rung from the doorway to the tower and 07:00 Bunyan is reputed to have rung this and not the others for fear 07:04 that the tower would fall on his head as a punishment for his sins. 07:09 Picturesque half-timbered cottages in the nearby street 07:15 are a reminder of how the village of Elstow would have 07:18 looked in the time of John Bunyan. He would have been 07:21 familiar with these cottages but he would have lived in far more 07:25 humble surroundings. His father Thomas was a tinker or metal 07:30 worker who traveled from house to house mending pots and pans. 07:34 It was not a well-paid job so money was often scarce and the 07:40 family was poor. By the time he was nine or ten he was often 07:45 found roaming the Elstow village green with his friends 07:48 swearing and getting into trouble. By this stage he hated 07:53 going to church as it reminded him of the bad things he'd done 07:57 during the week. John was more interested in sports and bell 08:02 ringing than he was in church and religion. He just wished 08:06 that God would leave him alone. Unfortunately things only got 08:11 worse for John. In 1644, when he was just 16, his mother died 08:18 from a bad attack of influenza. Within a month his 14-year-old 08:23 sister Margaret was also dead. John was absolutely devastated. 08:29 But this sorrow soon turned into anger when his father married 08:33 another woman just two months later. At this time, England was 08:40 going through great changes. The country was torn apart by a 08:44 devastating civil war. The English civil war was fought 08:49 between King Charles I and the parliamentarians under Oliver 08:53 Cromwell. The war was over who should rule England, the king or 08:58 the parliament. John left home and joined Oliver Cromwell's 09:04 army which supported parliament against the king. All the 09:08 soldiers were expected to attend church and were given a little 09:12 pocket Bible when they enlisted. But all that didn't matter much 09:16 to John. He'd turned his back on God and religion. But an 09:20 important incident took place during his army service that 09:24 made him start thinking about his eternal destiny. John's 09:30 company of soldiers had been ordered to surround and capture 09:33 a town. Just as John was about to go on sentry duty a soldier 09:39 asked if he could go in his place. John agreed. But as the 09:43 other man stood on guard, he was shot in the head by a musket 09:47 bullet and killed instantly. This was a sobering experience 09:51 and John wondered if God was looking after him and had a plan 09:56 for his life. The war ended when King Charles I was captured and 10:03 executed. Oliver Cromwell ruled England and then eventually a 10:07 new king was crowned. However, from then on the kings and 10:12 queens of England had to give more and more power to the 10:17 people and to parliament. After his war duties, John returned to 10:23 Elstow. He had gone away to war as a boy and now he returned as 10:28 a man. By this time he was 21 years old and just two years 10:34 later he married a very religious local girl and settled 10:39 in Elstow. They were extremely poor and so John followed in his 10:43 father's footsteps and worked as a tinker mending pots and pans. 10:48 But John was living a double life. He would regularly attend 10:53 church with his wife and would sing and say all the right 10:56 things to please his wife, yet some of his actions showed he 11:02 didn't really mean it. As soon as he got home from church he 11:07 forgot all about the sermon and would join his friends here on 11:10 the village green. John was known in the area for his 11:13 swearing and lying and he quickly slotted back into 11:17 becoming the ring leader of the local gangs. John was very 11:22 unsettled. On the outside life looked great. He had a wife, a 11:28 home, friends and a job. But things are never quite that 11:33 simple, because on the inside he was at war with himself. He knew 11:39 what was right and how he should be living, but he was doing 11:42 things he knew were wrong. John started to question everything. 11:47 One of his favorite pastimes was bell ringing at church but he 11:52 began wondering what's the point of it all. What's the use of all 11:57 this outward religious show if he wasn't right with God on the 12:01 inside. Church attendance, singing, bell ringing. Is this 12:06 all there is to religion. Something was missing in his 12:15 life. One day John was walking through Bedford town when he 12:20 overheard a small group of women chatting as they sat in doorway. 12:23 They were talking about God. John was interested and so 12:29 listened in to their conversation. He soon 12:32 realized by the way they were talking that they seemed to know 12:35 God personally. They had a real vibrant, personal relationship 12:41 with God. John realized that this is what was missing in 12:46 his life. This is what he wanted John began reading the Bible as 12:53 he'd never read it before. He began spending time praying to 12:57 God. He began pleading with God to show him what was really 13:02 right. He wanted to be a genuine Christian, a real one, on the 13:06 outside and the inside. At this time the ideas of Martin Luther 13:13 and John Calvin, the ideas of the protestant reformation began 13:17 to gain a foothold in England. People began to study the Bible 13:22 and follow its teachings. They believed the Bible was true and 13:27 that it should govern every part of their lives. They 13:30 were no longer 13:32 satisfied with just tradition and empty religion. As John 13:36 studied the Bible he discovered the good news that God is a God 13:41 of love and that salvation is a gift, it's free. That people's 13:46 sins are forgiven when they accept Jesus as their Savior and 13:51 believe that he paid the penalty for their sins and mistakes on 13:54 the cross. John asked God to forgive his many sins. At last 14:00 he had found what he was looking for, inner peace and happiness 14:05 through a relationship with Jesus Christ. He later became a 14:09 member of the new church, St. John's located here in downtown 14:15 Bedford. He decided to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and obey 14:19 the teachings of the Bible. He read in the Bible that Jesus was 14:23 baptized by immersion as an adult. He also read what Jesus 14:28 Jesus said about the importance of true Bible baptism in Mark 14:32 chapter 16 and verse 16: 14:43 John decided to follow the example of Jesus and be baptized 14:49 by immersion and so in 1653 he was baptized here in a little 14:55 inlet of the River Ouse at Duck Mill. The change in John was 15:00 amazing. He was a new person and he desperately wanted to share 15:05 the good news about Jesus that had changed his life and brought 15:08 him happiness. So John began preaching. John loved the Bible 15:14 and was soon preaching in the open-air, in houses, cottages, 15:17 barns and even in parish churches. Large crowds would 15:23 gather to hear him. At this time there wasn't religious freedom 15:28 in England. There were strict rules about when and where 15:31 people could worship and open air preaching was illegal. But 15:37 John felt compelled to continue preaching. This placed him in 15:43 serious danger. The crunch came in November 1660 when John was 15:51 asked to go and preach on a farm at Lower Sansal near the village 15:55 of Westoning. He knew that he would be in danger if he went 15:59 but he felt a duty to proceed and so went anyway. Just as the 16:05 meeting was starting with prayer the police burst in and ordered 16:09 them to stop. John was arrested and brought to Harlington Manor 16:13 for interrogation. It was a large house surrounded by a huge 16:18 brick wall with enormous wooden gates at the entrance. Today its 16:24 the only building still standing that Bunyan is known to have 16:28 stayed in. John was dragged away to jail. His only crime: 16:33 Preaching about Jesus and the gift of salvation. He spent the 16:38 next 12 years as a prisoner for the sake of the gospel and his 16:43 conscience. He was imprisoned in two jails. He spent a short 16:48 time in the town prison that was a building in the center of the 16:51 center of the old stone bridge that used to cross the River 16:55 Ouse. Today a plaque relates to John's imprisonment here in the 17:00 town prison. But most of his time in prison was spent in the 17:05 county jail. This plaque in the pavement in Bedford marks the 17:10 spot where the county jail stood in the 17th century. It was 17:14 demolished in 1801. John Bunyan was imprisoned here for 12 long 17:21 years. Conditions were dreadful, dirty and overcrowded though 17:28 Bunyan never complained about it. John didn't waste his time 17:32 in prison. He made good laces to help support his family and 17:37 spoke to fellow prisoners about the Bible and Jesus Christ. He 17:41 would also sit in his cell and write. It was here that he wrote 17:46 the world's best-selling book in publishing history next to 17:50 the Bible. The book is called The Pilgrims Progress. It's a 17:57 clever allegory about a man named Christian and his journey 18:01 from his home town The City of Destruction to his heavenly 18:04 destination The Celestial City. On his action packed journey 18:09 Christian faces many difficulties and meets many 18:14 characters. Some of them try to discourage him and lead him away 18:18 from the right path. On the positive side Christian also 18:23 meets several godly individuals along the way who assist him 18:27 and encourage him to stay on the right path. His adventurous 18:32 journey takes him to many different places including 18:36 various landmarks and towns like Vanity Fair, Hill Difficulty, 18:41 the House Beautiful and the Valley of the Shadow of Death. 18:46 John Bunyan was influenced in the creation of these places by 18:51 his own surrounding environment. They are places and structures 18:55 he regularly would have seen as a child and later in his travels 19:00 on foot or horseback. For example the House Beautiful 19:04 is Halton House build herein 1621 but a ruin since 1800. 19:11 Throughout the first part of the journey Christian is carrying a 19:16 terribly heavy load on his back, the weight of his sins. It seems 19:20 to be dragging him down to hell but then he reaches the Wall 19:24 of Salvation where there's a large cross. Once he reaches the 19:29 foot of the cross his terrible burden miraculously falls away 19:34 and disappears and he's set free. He's also given a 19:40 certificate that will be his entrance into the gates of 19:44 heaven. Christian rejoices and continues his journey. But even 19:49 now Christian finds that his journey is not an easy one. 19:54 There are continual difficulties discouragements and temptations 19:58 along the way. He learns that pilgrims face the most trouble 20:04 when they are tempted to deviate from the right path and try to 20:08 follow what they perceive to be an easier way. He discovers that 20:13 there are no shortcuts to the Celestial City. Eventually 20:18 Christian reaches the borders of the Celestial City and he 20:22 crosses a river with no bridge and enters the Kingdom. On the 20:27 far shore he's greeted by angels and trumpets and joins in 20:31 praising the King of the land. By God's grace he's made it to 20:37 the Celestial City. Even though written by a prisoner in a dark 20:42 jail cell, John Bunyan's book, The Pilgrim's Progress, was an 20:47 immediate success. Within 10 years it had sold over 100,000 20:52 copies and was already translated into several 20:56 different languages. Today it's the world's best seller of all 21:00 time and the most widely circulated book next to the 21:05 Bible. It's never been out of print and has been translated 21:09 into over 200 languages. But why? What makes Pilgrim's 21:14 Progress so appealing that it's been able to cross cultures 21:19 languages and centuries. Well I think it's because we can all 21:25 relate to it. Christian's story is our story, yours and mine, 21:30 as well as John Bunyan's. We're all on a journey, the journey of 21:37 life. And more specifically, if you know Jesus then we're 21:42 pilgrims too. Our life is a journey, a pilgrimage with a 21:49 glorious destination. Notice what the Bible says in 21:52 I Peter chapter 2 and verse 11: 22:05 Yes, we're all pilgrims on our way to the heavenly city that 22:10 God is preparing. Here's what it says in 22:13 Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 16: 22:30 And the Bible shares a lot of information about this city, 22:34 about the ultimate destination of our life's journey. For 22:39 example, notice what it says in 22:41 Revelation chapter 21 verses 1 to 4: 23:11 That holy city is our ultimate destination and Christian's 23:16 journey in Pilgrim's Progress reflects every Christian's 23:21 journey through life. There is only one path to heaven and it's 23:26 not always an easy one. It's filled with trials and 23:30 temptations, but even in the difficult times God watches over 23:35 us and helps us along the way. With each trial that he brings 23:39 us through our faith is strengthened. Meanwhile we must 23:46 stay on the right course leaving our burden, our sins, at the 23:50 foot of the cross where Jesus Christ has set us free. We're 23:56 all on the same journey but the big question is this, are you on 24:02 the right path? If you would like to experience the freedom 24:06 that only Jesus can provide, if you would like to experience 24:10 true peace and happiness, if you would like God to guide you on 24:14 your journey through life, why not ask him right now as we pray 24:20 Dear Heavenly Father, you are never far from those who seek 24:25 you. Please give us strength to endure this pilgrim journey as 24:30 we travel along the path that you have prepared according to 24:34 your will. We face trials and temptations. Please watch over 24:39 us and help us along the way. Guide us to our final 24:43 destination and set our affections on the things above, 24:49 not on the passing vanities of this world until we reach the 24:52 peace and comfort of our heavenly home. 24:56 In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 25:02 Three hundred and fifty years ago John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's 25:06 Progress while locked up in a prison cell on a bridge. Today 25:10 it's the world's best seller of all time and the most widely 25:14 circulated book next to the Bible. Why? Because we can all 25:20 relate to it. It's our story, yours and mine. We're all on a 25:25 journey, the journey of life. And Christian's journey in 25:30 Pilgrim's Progress reflects every Christian's journey 25:33 through life. There is only one path to heaven and it's not 25:38 always an easy one. It's filled with trials and temptations. If 25:43 you're looking for support on your journey through life and 25:47 would like God to guide you then I'd like to recommend a free 25:50 gift we have for all our viewers today. It's the Christian 25:55 classic Steps to Christ. This book is our gift to you and is 26:00 absolutely free. There are no costs or obligations whatsoever. 26:06 So please don't miss this wonderful opportunity to receive 26:11 the gift we have for you today. Here's the information you need: 26:15 Phone or text us at 0436333555 or visit our website www.tij.tv 26:27 to request today's free offer and we'll send it to you totally 26:31 free of charge and with no obligation. So don't delay. 26:36 Call or text 0436333555 in Australia or 0204222042 in 26:47 New Zealand or visit our website www.tij.tv to request today's 26:57 offer. Write to us at: 27:14 Don't delay. Call or text us now If you've enjoyed today's 27:21 journey to Bedford and our reflection on Pilgrim's Progress 27:26 be sure to join us again next week when we will share another 27:30 of life's journey's together and experience another new 27:33 and thought provoking perspective on the peace, 27:36 insight, understanding and hope that only the Bible can give us. 27:42 The Journey truly is television that changes lives. Until next 27:46 week remember the ultimate destination of life's journey: 27:51 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth; and God will wipe away 27:55 every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death 27:59 nor sorrow nor crying. There shall be no more pain for the 28:03 former things have passed away. 28:06 ♪ ♪ |
Revised 2020-09-24