It has stood the test of time.
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God's book.
00:00:12.16\00:00:13.50
The Bible.
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Still relevant in
today's complex world.
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It is written sharing
hope around the globe.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me
today on It Is Written.
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You know, it often seems as
though we're living in a world
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where everyone's
fighting about something.
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There's someone
suing someone else.
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Domestic bliss
turning into domestic warfare.
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Political parties that seem
determined not to get along.
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Or, worse and far more
seriously, nations continue to
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be engaged in wars
that claim many lives.
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Today, wars play out on
24-hour TV news channels.
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Unlike years ago, if there's a
conflict happening somewhere in
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the world, graphic news footage
brings the grim realities of
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warfare right to our TVs,
computers and mobile devices.
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So why then has the world's
media missed the biggest war of
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them all?
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The longest and most important
conflict in all of history is
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being totally ignored: you won't
find it reported in the news
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anywhere.
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Today we'll examine
this astonishing silence as
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we focus on The
War Behind All Wars.
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Dr. Jeremy Stone stares in
disbelief at the image on the
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electron microscope monitor.
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Here in this top-secret,
five-level underground lab, he
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and his team have worked
through the night to isolate the
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microbe, and they
are running out of time.
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Two days earlier, a classified
military satellite named Scoop
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VII-after developing instability
in orbit-had been deliberately
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brought down in
the Arizona desert.
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The two-man recovery team sent
from Vandenberg Air Force Base
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in California had tracked the
satellite's locator signal to a
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remote desert town of
Piedmont, population 48.
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Entering the village, the team
reported that the streets were
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littered with bodies.
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At Vandenberg, where
the progress of the recovery
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operation was being monitored
by radio, the staff at Scoop
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Mission Control suddenly heard a
high-pitched scream, followed by
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a crunching noise.
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Mission Control could
not raise the two men again.
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A second team, outfitted with
airtight suits and helmets, had
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then been
dispatched to Piedmont.
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There they recovered
the satellite and, to their
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surprise, found two survivors-an
old man and an infant.
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The survivors and the satellite
were then rushed to the
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underground Wildfire Lab
just outside Flatrock, Nevada.
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Searching for the cause of the
mysterious deaths, the Wildfire
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team had discovered what
they had feared might be true.
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The satellite had
brought back from space a deadly
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extraterrestrial life form.
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And now, their eyes riveted to
the wall monitor, Dr. Stone and
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his colleagues watch the green
crystal-like microbe multiply
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rapidly.
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Unless they can find a way to
neutralize it-and soon-it will
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quickly spread to
destroy all life on earth.
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So goes the chilling scenario
of Michael Crichton's 1969
00:03:38.26\00:03:42.30
science-fiction best seller
entitled The Andromeda Strain.
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But today, we fear a possible
space germ far less than we do a
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number of very real and
frightening diseases right here
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on Earth.
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HIV/AIDS is still a
disease without a cure.
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And there are other infectious
diseases that appear suddenly
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and threaten to
spread out of control.
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Diseases with strange names like
SARS, hantavirus, ebola, West
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Nile virus, Bird
Flu and Mad Cow disease.
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The world has seen its
share of deadly epidemics.
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Between 1334 and 1351 A.D.,
up to 75 million people died in
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Eurasia of the plague
known as The Black Death.
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You know, more soldiers died
during the Civil War of typhoid
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fever than were
killed in action.
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Another 20 million perished
worldwide in 1918 and 1919 of
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influenza.
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Tens of millions more have died
of cholera, smallpox, and other
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contagious diseases.
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Yet the most lethal virus ever
to devastate our planet is not
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AIDS or bubonic plague.
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This killer has proven far more
horrific, and has swept away
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more millions, than any
other epidemic in world history.
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And whether you realize it
or not, every human being alive
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today is infected and
is burdened daily with the
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appalling symptoms
of this lethal pandemic.
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This super virus, to which all
other diseases on Earth trace
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their origin, is called SIN.
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Sin is the ultimate cause of
disease and death, of accidents,
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tragedies, and disasters.
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Grief and pain and violence and
war and an endless host of other
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horrors exist solely as a result
of the merciless invasion of the
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sin virus.
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An urgent, haunting question
is: Where did sin come from?
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God Himself answers that
question for us in His message
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to us-the Bible.
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The Bible takes us back to a
time when there was no sin, no
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trouble, no evil.
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It takes us back to a time long,
long ago-to a place far, far
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away--a place called Heaven.
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Heaven was populated with angels
who loved God because they
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wanted to - because they CHOSE
to - and not because they HAD
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to.
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They had been made with freedom
of choice - they weren't created
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as if they were computers
who had to be programmed to be
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loved.
00:06:18.83\00:06:20.60
But that very freedom of choice
meant that they also had to be
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free to choose against Him.
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That's the risk God took.
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And the highest-ranking angel
over them all, was tehthe one
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called Lucifer -"the shining
one" was the "covering cherub"
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who stood in the
immediate presence of God.
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He is described in
Ezekiel chapter 28.
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"You were anointed as a guardian
cherub," God said of Lucifer,
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"for so I ordained you.
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You were on the holy mount of
God; you walked among the fiery
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stones."
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(Ezekiel 28:14) A couple verses
earlier Ezekiel says this: "You
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were the seal of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in
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beauty."
00:07:05.13\00:07:07.13
(Ezekiel 28:12) In perfect peace
and sinlessness, the years of
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eternity past moved on.
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How long Lucifer had lived
in Heaven since his creation the
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Bible does not tell us.
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Perhaps thousands of
years, maybe millions.
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But as time continued, Lucifer
apparently became increasingly
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conscious of his
own beauty and wisdom.
00:07:25.16\00:07:29.60
And apparently he felt that
he should be elevated to an even
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higher position in
Heaven's line of authority.
00:07:33.60\00:07:36.60
Continuing in Ezekiel, the Bible
says, "Your heart became proud
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on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
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because of your splendor."
00:07:44.66\00:07:47.83
(Ezekiel 28:17) "You
corrupted your wisdom."
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In other words, Lucifer
wasn't thinking straight.
00:07:49.53\00:07:52.33
His judgment had become
distorted by a false picture of
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himself that he
had chosen to believe.
00:07:55.66\00:07:58.80
Because of his wisdom,
his position, and his beauty,
00:07:58.80\00:08:02.53
Lucifer slowly came to see
himself as more important in
00:08:02.53\00:08:06.53
Heaven's scheme of
things than he actually was.
00:08:06.53\00:08:09.53
He had become proud.
00:08:09.53\00:08:12.00
Self-centered.
00:08:12.00\00:08:13.93
Pride-an exaggerated sense of
one's importance-sets one up for
00:08:13.93\00:08:18.16
a fall.
00:08:18.16\00:08:19.73
And fall,
Lucifer eventually did.
00:08:19.73\00:08:22.66
After his fall, God would say
this of him, "You were blameless
00:08:22.66\00:08:26.86
in your ways from the day you
were created till wickedness was
00:08:26.86\00:08:31.33
found in you."
00:08:31.33\00:08:32.90
(Ezekiel 28:15) And over in
the book of Isaiah we find this
00:08:32.90\00:08:35.86
comment about Lucifer.
00:08:35.86\00:08:38.30
"How you have fallen from
heaven, morning star, son of the
00:08:38.30\00:08:40.63
dawn!
00:08:40.63\00:08:43.00
You said in your heart, 'I will
ascend to the heavens; I will
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raise my throne above the stars
of God; I will sit enthroned on
00:08:46.50\00:08:51.70
the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mt.
00:08:51.70\00:08:54.96
Zaphon.
00:08:54.96\00:08:58.06
I will ascend above the tops of
the clouds; I will make myself
00:08:58.06\00:09:00.36
like the Most High.'" (Isaiah
14:12-14) Lucifer's promotion
00:09:00.36\00:09:05.93
never came.
00:09:05.93\00:09:07.73
If he had been thinking clearly,
he would never have lost sight
00:09:07.73\00:09:10.40
of the fact that while God
was the Creator, Lucifer was and
00:09:10.40\00:09:14.40
could only ever be the creature.
00:09:14.40\00:09:18.80
So he waited with increasing
frustration in anticipation of
00:09:18.80\00:09:22.56
something that
could never happen.
00:09:22.56\00:09:26.43
As time passed with no
indication that God was
00:09:26.43\00:09:29.10
preparing for Lucifer's imminent
elevation, the prince of the
00:09:29.10\00:09:33.80
angels was at first puzzled,
then bitterly disappointed-and
00:09:33.80\00:09:38.80
finally, angry and jealous.
00:09:38.80\00:09:40.96
And who do you
think got the blame?
00:09:40.96\00:09:46.76
This will surprise you.
00:09:46.76\00:09:47.96
I'll tell you in just a moment.
00:09:47.96\00:09:49.76
In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God
says "It is written 'Man shall
00:09:49.76\00:09:54.90
not live by bread alone but by
every word that proceeds out of
00:09:54.90\00:09:59.60
the mouth of God'."
00:09:59.60\00:10:01.00
Every Word is a one minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:10:01.00\00:10:06.70
presented by Pastor John
Bradshaw and designed especially
00:10:06.70\00:10:09.03
for busy people like you.
00:10:09.03\00:10:10.43
Look for Every Word on selected
networks or watch it on-line
00:10:10.43\00:10:13.03
everyday on our
website itiswritten.com.
00:10:13.03\00:10:16.30
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:10:16.30\00:10:18.06
Watch Every Word.
00:10:18.06\00:10:19.66
You'll be glad you did.
00:10:19.66\00:10:21.06
Here's a sample.
00:10:21.06\00:10:31.63
Most everyone loves a good deal.
00:10:31.63\00:10:33.76
In the Bible, God offers us
the best deal you could possibly
00:10:33.76\00:10:37.06
imagine.
00:10:37.06\00:10:38.76
In Luke 11:13, Jesus said "If
you then, being evil, know how
00:10:38.76\00:10:42.23
to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will
00:10:42.23\00:10:44.46
your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask
00:10:44.46\00:10:47.56
Him!"
00:10:47.56\00:10:48.40
What a deal!
00:10:48.40\00:10:49.36
The Holy Spirit.
00:10:49.36\00:10:50.53
.The personal presence of Jesus
Christ given to us absolutely
00:10:50.53\00:10:53.23
free.
00:10:53.23\00:10:54.90
People get excited when they
find peanut butter on sale at
00:10:54.90\00:10:57.66
the supermarket.
00:10:57.66\00:10:58.43
Find cheap gas and you
might even all a friend.
00:10:58.43\00:11:01.33
But God promises to give us the
Holy Spirit, the greatest of all
00:11:01.33\00:11:05.40
gifts absolutely free.
00:11:05.40\00:11:08.30
All he says we need to is ask.
00:11:08.30\00:11:09.90
Have you asked God to give
you this most incredible gift?
00:11:09.90\00:11:12.96
If not, it's
probably time you did.
00:11:12.96\00:11:16.56
Make Luke 11:13 part of
the fabric of your life.
00:11:16.56\00:11:22.36
I'm John Bradshaw
from It IS Written.
00:11:22.36\00:11:24.33
Let's live today by every Word.
00:11:24.33\00:11:24.96
Who gets the blame
when things go wrong?
00:11:24.96\00:11:27.73
It seems strange that this sort
of thing could happen in heaven
00:11:27.73\00:11:30.83
of all places, but when Lucifer
didn't what he was hoping for,
00:11:30.83\00:11:35.46
he could only
conclude one of two things.
00:11:35.46\00:11:38.23
Either the problem was
with God-or it was with himself.
00:11:38.23\00:11:43.30
Since the problem could
not possibly be within himself,
00:11:43.30\00:11:47.43
Lucifer he reasoned,
then it had to be with God.
00:11:47.43\00:11:50.63
And Lucifer's discontent with
God soon spread to the other
00:11:50.63\00:11:54.96
angels in heaven, to the extent
that the Bible says there was a
00:11:54.96\00:11:58.13
full-scale revolt.
00:11:58.13\00:11:59.76
Look at this description
in the book of Revelation.
00:11:59.76\00:12:03.83
"Then war broke out in heaven,
Michael [Christ] and his angels
00:12:03.83\00:12:06.73
fought against the dragon
[Lucifer], and the dragon and
00:12:06.73\00:12:09.40
his angels fought back.
00:12:09.40\00:12:12.36
But he was not strong enough,
and they lost their place in
00:12:12.36\00:12:16.26
heaven.
00:12:16.26\00:12:17.10
The great dragon was hurled
down-that ancient serpent called
00:12:17.10\00:12:21.00
the devil or Satan, who
leads the whole world astray.
00:12:21.00\00:12:27.40
He was hurled to the
earth, and his angels with him."
00:12:27.40\00:12:29.06
(Revelation 12:7-9 A third of
the angels accepted and believed
00:12:29.06\00:12:32.13
Lucifer's false picture of God
and were thrown out of Heaven
00:12:32.13\00:12:36.30
with him.
00:12:36.30\00:12:38.06
We read about this a few verses
earlier in the same chapter.
00:12:38.06\00:12:39.63
His tail drew a third of the
stars of heaven and threw them
00:12:39.63\00:12:43.93
to the earth.
00:12:43.93\00:12:44.90
(Revelation 12:4) The
great battle between Christ and
00:12:44.90\00:12:50.60
Lucifer-now called the
devil or Satan-had begun.
00:12:50.60\00:12:53.46
The war behind all wars-the war
that would include and be the
00:12:53.46\00:12:59.50
cause of every war ever
fought on earth-was now raging.
00:12:59.50\00:13:04.20
But how is it that you and I
are involved in this great war
00:13:04.20\00:13:06.56
between God and His government
of love, and Satan and his
00:13:06.56\00:13:09.26
insurrection of selfishness?
00:13:09.26\00:13:12.26
How did the great conflict move
from angels to human beings?
00:13:12.26\00:13:20.83
Evicted from Heaven, Satan and
the other fallen angels set up
00:13:20.83\00:13:24.60
the headquarters of their new
counter-government on the small
00:13:24.60\00:13:29.00
planet called Earth and pledged
themselves to everlasting
00:13:29.00\00:13:33.23
hatred-and the ultimate
destruction-of their own
00:13:33.23\00:13:37.10
Creator.
00:13:37.10\00:13:38.86
The Bible's first
book-Genesis-tells us that on
00:13:38.86\00:13:42.66
this earth, God chose to create
a different order of beings.
00:13:42.66\00:13:46.60
Not as powerful as angels,
but made in God's own image.
00:13:46.60\00:13:50.26
On the sixth day of creation,
God said, in the book of
00:13:50.26\00:13:53.80
Genesis...
00:13:53.80\00:13:55.63
"Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness .
00:13:55.63\00:14:00.80
so God created man in His own
image; in the image of God He
00:14:00.80\00:14:03.50
created him; male and
female He created them."
00:14:03.50\00:14:10.20
(Genesis 1:26, 27) God created
Adam and Eve with the same
00:14:10.20\00:14:12.26
freedom of choice He
had given the angels.
00:14:12.26\00:14:14.76
He also created a beautiful
garden called Eden as the home
00:14:14.76\00:14:18.60
for our first parents.
00:14:18.60\00:14:20.56
Now God did not allow the fallen
Satan to have free access to the
00:14:20.56\00:14:24.20
man and woman He had created,
confining him to just one tree
00:14:24.20\00:14:28.40
in the center of the garden.
00:14:28.40\00:14:30.40
And God warned Adam and Eve
to stay away from the tree and
00:14:30.40\00:14:34.00
commanded them to
never eat the fruit of it.
00:14:34.00\00:14:38.06
Then came a tragic day that
would change earth and human
00:14:38.06\00:14:42.63
history forever.
00:14:42.63\00:14:44.63
Let me sketch out the story for
you as described in the book of
00:14:44.63\00:14:47.83
Genesis chapter 3.
00:14:47.83\00:14:50.56
Eve hadn't intended
to wander away from Adam.
00:14:50.56\00:14:52.76
But somehow, happily preoccupied
with her work, she suddenly
00:14:52.76\00:14:57.70
found herself alone, looking up
at the tree God had warned them
00:14:57.70\00:15:00.80
about.
00:15:00.80\00:15:02.16
"You may eat the fruit from
any tree in Eden," He had said.
00:15:02.16\00:15:05.50
"But do not eat fruit from
the tree in the center of the
00:15:05.50\00:15:08.93
garden.
00:15:08.93\00:15:10.13
If you do, you will
most certainly die."
00:15:10.13\00:15:13.93
Now, as she looked curiously
at the tree and noticed its
00:15:13.93\00:15:16.70
attractive fruit, Eve wondered
why God had declared this one
00:15:16.70\00:15:21.23
tree off limits.
00:15:21.23\00:15:23.73
"Did God really tell you not to
eat fruit from any of the trees
00:15:23.73\00:15:26.83
here in Eden?"
00:15:26.83\00:15:29.53
Startled, Eve searched for the
source of the questioning voice.
00:15:29.53\00:15:33.43
But all she could see was a
serpent draped across the lower
00:15:33.43\00:15:37.93
branches of the tree, and
she noticed it was talking.
00:15:37.93\00:15:41.73
She was fascinated (can't
blame her, can you, for being
00:15:41.73\00:15:46.13
fascinated) and
responded to the snake.
00:15:46.13\00:15:47.83
"We are free to eat from any
tree in the garden but this one.
00:15:47.83\00:15:50.33
God says that if we eat fruit
from this tree-or even if we
00:15:50.33\00:15:53.90
touch it-we will die."
00:15:53.90\00:15:56.53
"You're kidding!"
00:15:56.53\00:15:58.10
the serpent laughed.
00:15:58.10\00:15:59.33
"Believe me, you
definitely will not die!
00:15:59.33\00:16:03.80
Anyone who eats this moves up to
a higher level of consciousness.
00:16:03.80\00:16:08.96
In fact, those who eat
this fruit will have the same
00:16:08.96\00:16:12.76
knowledge and
power that God has."
00:16:12.76\00:16:17.60
And Satan was insinuating that
God's way wasn't fair or just.
00:16:17.60\00:16:22.90
So Eve ate the forbidden fruit,
and before long she'd shared it
00:16:22.90\00:16:27.80
with Adam.
00:16:27.80\00:16:29.60
Later that same day, as
Lucifer and his forces gleefully
00:16:29.60\00:16:32.80
celebrated their great victory,
Adam and Eve heard God calling
00:16:32.80\00:16:37.80
to them in the Garden of Eden.
00:16:37.80\00:16:39.76
Normally when God called,
they ran gladly to meet Him.
00:16:39.76\00:16:42.90
But this evening, the
Bible says, they hid themselves.
00:16:42.90\00:16:48.33
And they heard the voice of the
LORD God walking in the garden
00:16:48.33\00:16:52.26
in the cool of the day: and Adam
and his wife hid themselves from
00:16:52.26\00:16:57.43
the presence of the LORD God
amongst the trees of the garden.
00:16:57.43\00:17:01.56
And the LORD God called unto
Adam, and said unto him, Where
00:17:01.56\00:17:04.86
art thou?
00:17:04.86\00:17:06.73
And he said, I heard thy voice
in the garden, and I was afraid,
00:17:06.73\00:17:10.50
because I was
naked; and I hid myself.
00:17:10.50\00:17:15.26
(Genesis 3:8-10)
Adam, afraid of God?
00:17:15.26\00:17:18.40
See that's what happens when sin
breaks the harmony that exists
00:17:18.40\00:17:22.30
in a relationship with God.
00:17:22.30\00:17:25.20
Ever since that day in Eden,
most people have been uneasy
00:17:25.20\00:17:28.33
around God-even afraid of Him.
00:17:28.33\00:17:29.90
Somehow sin is like that.
00:17:29.90\00:17:32.06
Sin brings a break in our
relationship with our Maker that
00:17:32.06\00:17:34.93
causes us to see God, not as
He really is, but in a totally
00:17:34.93\00:17:39.00
false light.
00:17:39.00\00:17:41.40
I don't know what your picture
of God is like at the moment.
00:17:41.40\00:17:44.40
But I do know that if you are
in the least afraid of Him, or
00:17:44.40\00:17:47.33
angry at Him, or uneasy around
Him, it's more than likely
00:17:47.33\00:17:51.36
because the separation of sin is
keeping you from seeing God as
00:17:51.36\00:17:55.13
He really is.
00:17:55.13\00:17:57.73
Separated from God, we begin
to imagine all sorts of things
00:17:57.73\00:18:00.60
about God that
simply aren't true.
00:18:00.60\00:18:03.56
We begin to blame God for
the pain our own sin brings us.
00:18:03.56\00:18:07.46
We come to see Him as basically
against us-as our stern judge or
00:18:07.46\00:18:11.76
our frowning Father,
if not our outright enemy.
00:18:11.76\00:18:21.36
And in creating these false
pictures of God, we have a lot
00:18:21.36\00:18:25.40
of help.
00:18:25.40\00:18:27.70
Satan, the fallen Lucifer, is
constantly at work slinging mud
00:18:27.70\00:18:31.63
at God's reputation to picture
Him as the worst of criminals.
00:18:31.63\00:18:35.70
Satan is consumed with the
goal of making God look bad by
00:18:35.70\00:18:40.53
misrepresenting
Him, by lying about Him.
00:18:40.53\00:18:43.83
So when trouble invades our
lives-tragedy, pain, illness,
00:18:43.83\00:18:47.33
grief-Satan immediately presses
us to put the blame on God.
00:18:47.33\00:18:52.30
Now, what's the
right way to view God?
00:18:52.30\00:18:58.23
I'll have that for
you in just a moment.
00:18:58.23\00:19:02.13
Perhaps something in
today's program has sparked your
00:19:02.13\00:19:04.56
interest in greater Bible study.
00:19:04.56\00:19:06.33
We invite you to visit our
website itiswritten.com where
00:19:06.33\00:19:10.26
you will find a host
of inspirational resources
00:19:10.26\00:19:13.03
including free Bible study
guides, there's also a complete
00:19:13.03\00:19:15.93
archive of past television
programs and special video
00:19:15.93\00:19:20.36
seminars that you can
view on-line or download.
00:19:20.36\00:19:22.53
Discover more at itiswritten.com
Long ago, Lucifer convinced a
00:19:22.53\00:19:29.36
third of all the angels in
heaven that God was unfair and
00:19:29.36\00:19:33.30
unjust.
00:19:33.30\00:19:34.80
He managed to convince Eve in
the Garden of Eden that God was
00:19:34.80\00:19:37.80
unfairly withholding
good things from her.
00:19:37.80\00:19:40.70
And today, Satan is still
peddling his ideas that God is
00:19:40.70\00:19:43.00
unfair and unkind.
00:19:43.00\00:19:44.10
It is common for people to refer
to calamities as "Acts of God",
00:19:44.10\00:19:49.60
as though God somehow willingly
causes misery to come to some
00:19:49.60\00:19:54.50
innocent, unsuspecting people.
00:19:54.50\00:20:00.46
And when trouble strikes, all
too often God gets the blame.
00:20:00.46\00:20:03.53
On August 1, 2007, the
fifth-busiest bridge in the
00:20:03.53\00:20:06.40
state of Minnesota - a bridge
across the Mississippi River on
00:20:06.40\00:20:09.70
Interstate 35 West - suddenly
collapsed during the evening
00:20:09.70\00:20:13.90
rush hour.
00:20:13.90\00:20:15.50
145 people were injured,
and 13 people were killed.
00:20:15.50\00:20:19.86
One of them was a 32 year-old
mother of two who was returning
00:20:19.86\00:20:26.60
from her cosmetology classes.
00:20:26.60\00:20:27.43
Her ex-husband said this,
he said: "God can be so cruel
00:20:27.43\00:20:30.76
sometimes."
00:20:30.76\00:20:33.26
While my heart goes out to
people in situations like that,
00:20:33.26\00:20:36.60
I do wish they could know that
Satan is the architect of misery
00:20:36.60\00:20:40.76
and death, not God.
00:20:40.76\00:20:42.70
Maybe you've heard of the Bible
story about the wheat and the
00:20:42.70\00:20:45.10
tares.
00:20:45.10\00:20:46.26
A farmer discovers someone has
sown weeds in his wheat field.
00:20:46.26\00:20:50.10
And don't sell this short: this
was a massive inconvenience to
00:20:50.10\00:20:53.36
the affected farmer.
00:20:53.36\00:20:55.20
His servants asked
him how it happened.
00:20:55.20\00:20:58.16
Here is how the
Bible records his reply.
00:20:58.16\00:21:01.16
"He said to them, 'An enemy
has done this.' (Matt 13:28) An
00:21:01.16\00:21:06.30
enemy.
00:21:06.30\00:21:07.83
When you hear of another child
randomly killed in a drive-by
00:21:07.83\00:21:10.76
shooting, one took place two
miles of where I was staying one
00:21:10.76\00:21:15.13
time, or of a baby with cancer,
or of a family devastated when a
00:21:15.13\00:21:20.90
tornado rips though their home
and their lives, don't ask "Why
00:21:20.90\00:21:27.36
did God do this?"
00:21:27.36\00:21:28.70
Jesus all too
often gets the blame.
00:21:28.70\00:21:32.36
Instead, we ought to be saying
as Jesus said: "An enemy has
00:21:32.36\00:21:38.73
done this."
00:21:38.73\00:21:39.93
Here's is how the
Bible describes God.
00:21:39.93\00:21:42.36
1 John 4:8 we read
that "God is love."
00:21:42.36\00:21:50.80
and verse 16 adds: And we have
known and believed the love that
00:21:50.80\00:21:53.76
God has for us.
00:21:53.76\00:21:55.06
God is love.
00:21:55.06\00:21:58.10
(1 John 4:8, 16) Matthew 11:28
has Jesus inviting everyone in
00:21:58.10\00:22:03.30
this way, Come unto me, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden,
00:22:03.30\00:22:07.73
and I will give you rest.
00:22:07.73\00:22:08.83
(Matthew 11:28) The Apostle
Peter, the one who denied Jesus,
00:22:08.83\00:22:14.06
wrote that God loves all
his children and does not want a
00:22:14.06\00:22:17.76
single one to be lost.
00:22:17.76\00:22:18.83
He wrote: The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise, as some
00:22:18.83\00:22:21.90
count slackness, but is
longsuffering toward us, and is
00:22:21.90\00:22:24.30
not willing that any should
perish but that all should come
00:22:24.30\00:22:32.10
to repentance.
00:22:32.10\00:22:33.23
(2 Peter 3:9)
That's what God wants!
00:22:33.23\00:22:35.50
He wants the very
best for you and me.
00:22:35.50\00:22:37.20
And Psalm 16 describes the
joy found in God's presence.
00:22:37.20\00:22:41.76
In Your presence is fullness
of joy; At Your right hand are
00:22:41.76\00:22:46.50
pleasures forevermore.
00:22:46.50\00:22:49.76
(Psalm 16:11) Rather than
God being the source of woe and
00:22:49.76\00:22:55.53
misery, God invites people,
appeals to people, draws people
00:22:55.53\00:23:00.53
to come to Him and
be blessed, not cursed.
00:23:00.53\00:23:02.40
In fact, in the book of Isaiah,
God even says to people who have
00:23:02.40\00:23:04.93
rebelled against Him, "Come now,
and let us reason together...
00:23:04.93\00:23:10.20
Though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be white as snow.
00:23:10.20\00:23:14.76
Though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool."
00:23:14.76\00:23:20.00
The God who would be perfectly
within His rights to cast us off
00:23:20.00\00:23:23.43
and forget about us forever
instead says, "If you come to
00:23:23.43\00:23:30.26
me, I'll bless you and
make you really happy."
00:23:30.26\00:23:32.40
Of course, that does NOT
mean God is there to give us
00:23:32.40\00:23:35.26
everything we want, and to
provide for our every desire.
00:23:35.26\00:23:40.03
The Bible is the story
about God, not Santa Claus.
00:23:40.03\00:23:44.43
Bad things still happen in our
lives, and God isn't there to
00:23:44.43\00:23:47.93
prevent every accident and
stop every calamity, although
00:23:47.93\00:23:52.03
sometimes of course
you wish he would be.
00:23:52.03\00:23:57.13
You see, God's first priority
isn't our material or even our
00:23:57.13\00:24:01.33
physical well-being -as
important as those things are.
00:24:01.33\00:24:07.33
God's first priority is
our 'spiritual' well-being.
00:24:07.33\00:24:09.26
With God's help, our faith can
grow and our trust in God can
00:24:09.26\00:24:12.40
grow to the place that no matter
what happens, we understand God
00:24:12.40\00:24:21.56
to be just, and just who He says
He is - our loving Father wh
00:24:21.56\00:24:24.13
allowed His Son to die for us.
00:24:24.13\00:24:26.86
And if we can learn to trust God
even when bad things happen...
00:24:26.86\00:24:32.33
then we are
really growing in grace.
00:24:32.33\00:24:34.00
Would you like to have that sort
of faith in God today- the sort
00:24:34.00\00:24:37.13
of faith that trusts
in God no matter what?
00:24:37.13\00:24:40.16
The sort of faith that
allows you to look towards God
00:24:40.16\00:24:43.10
trustingly, even though your
world would be falling apart?
00:24:43.10\00:24:50.93
You can have that sort of faith.
00:24:50.93\00:24:52.03
Together, why don't we ask
God for that sort of faith right
00:24:52.03\00:24:53.80
now.
00:24:53.80\00:24:54.73
Let's pray.
00:24:54.73\00:24:55.96
Our father in heaven, it
seems that our plant is just
00:24:55.96\00:24:59.46
constantly at war and sometimes
it seems like our own lives are
00:24:59.46\00:25:09.03
jus full of warring,
stress and strife and no peace.
00:25:09.03\00:25:10.90
When what we
really want is peace.
00:25:10.90\00:25:12.83
Now we know that Jesus
is the Prince of Peace.
00:25:12.83\00:25:17.30
So please, let him live his life
in us and bring to us peace,
00:25:17.30\00:25:21.10
even amidst the storm and faith
even in the midst of difficulty.
00:25:21.10\00:25:32.86
Lord, help us to trust you.
00:25:32.86\00:25:34.56
We know you are not the cause,
the source of sadness and woe.
00:25:34.56\00:25:37.70
We know an enemy has done this.
00:25:37.70\00:25:38.56
Give us faith to trust you now
and always I pray and we thank
00:25:38.56\00:25:42.70
you for it and we believe it
as we pray in Jesus; name, amen.
00:25:42.70\00:25:58.06
Perhaps our program today has
touched your heart and impressed
00:25:58.06\00:26:00.73
you with a personal
need for deeper Bible study.
00:26:00.73\00:26:05.56
Do you desire to listen to
God and follow where he leads?
00:26:05.56\00:26:07.56
We've got a wonderful resource
that can help you do that in a
00:26:07.56\00:26:10.93
systemic way, the
Discover Bible Guides.
00:26:10.93\00:26:15.43
These study guides will take
you through the essential truths
00:26:15.43\00:26:17.33
taught in Scripture.
00:26:17.33\00:26:18.13
They give you the big
picture showing how it all fits
00:26:18.13\00:26:23.13
together.
00:26:23.13\00:26:24.50
The Discover Bible Guides are a
wonderful way for you to become
00:26:24.50\00:26:26.03
grounded in the Word of God and
to see how Jesus Christ relates
00:26:26.03\00:26:28.03
to all areas of our lives.
00:26:28.03\00:26:32.63
So please call or write us and
the Discover Bible Guides will
00:26:32.63\00:26:35.20
be on their way to you and
the entire course is absolutely
00:26:35.20\00:26:38.43
free.
00:26:38.43\00:26:39.63
For even easier access, you
can obtain these wonderful Bible
00:26:39.63\00:26:41.50
lessons on-line at our website.
00:26:41.50\00:26:42.50
Here's the information you need.
00:26:42.50\00:26:51.03
You may request today's offer,
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00:26:52.66\00:26:54.93
Call right now.
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00:26:56.13\00:26:58.06
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00:26:58.06\00:27:01.56
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00:27:12.90\00:27:16.70
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00:27:16.70\00:27:19.90
Just visit our
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00:27:19.90\00:27:23.46
Also on line is a complete
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00:27:23.46\00:27:27.76
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00:27:36.60\00:27:39.06
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Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:44.10\00:27:51.10
I'm look forward to
seeing you next time.
00:27:51.10\00:27:53.63
Until then, remember...It is
written, man shall not live by
00:27:53.63\00:27:57.96
bread alone, but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of
00:27:57.96\00:28:02.23
God.
00:28:02.23\00:28:03.46