It has stood the test of time.
00:00:07.30\00:00:12.13
God's book.
00:00:12.13\00:00:13.43
The Bible.
00:00:13.43\00:00:17.03
Still relevant in
today's complex world.
00:00:17.03\00:00:21.96
It is written sharing
hope around the globe.
00:00:21.96\00:00:36.66
Imagine growing up thinking
you were someone, and then
00:00:36.66\00:00:39.60
discovering you
were someone else.
00:00:39.60\00:00:42.46
And imagine if you found out
your own godfather was one of
00:00:42.46\00:00:45.16
the monsters of history.
00:00:45.16\00:00:47.10
Guntram Weber was a 63-year-old
teacher living in Berlin, West
00:00:47.10\00:00:50.10
Germany.
00:00:50.10\00:00:52.10
And like many Germans his age,
he never knew his father, and
00:00:52.10\00:00:55.40
that was because his dad
was killed during the war.
00:00:55.40\00:00:58.06
Or, at least that's
what his mother told him.
00:00:58.06\00:01:00.60
"Guntram, your dad was a truck
driver for the Luftwaffe in
00:01:00.60\00:01:03.33
Croatia and he
died in the fighting."
00:01:03.33\00:01:06.03
And that's all she told him.
00:01:06.03\00:01:07.80
For much of his life, Guntram
remained skeptical about what
00:01:07.80\00:01:10.33
his mother had said
regarding his father.
00:01:10.33\00:01:13.16
He could never quite bring
himself to believe her story.
00:01:13.16\00:01:15.43
It always bothered him that she
never talked about his father,
00:01:15.43\00:01:19.23
and when he asked questions, she
would say something quickly and
00:01:19.23\00:01:22.16
then change the subject.
00:01:22.16\00:01:23.63
And to make things seem
even more suspicious, there were
00:01:23.63\00:01:25.80
never any photos of his
dad around the house, and he
00:01:25.80\00:01:28.40
couldn't find any documentation.
00:01:28.40\00:01:30.66
Then one day, following a hint
his stepfather gave him, Guntram
00:01:30.66\00:01:33.73
did a little digging into his
past, and much to his shock he
00:01:33.73\00:01:38.26
found the truth.
00:01:38.26\00:01:40.13
Guntram was what they called
a Lebensborn baby, a term the
00:01:40.13\00:01:43.36
Nazis used to describe their
plan to use selective breeding
00:01:43.36\00:01:47.20
to create a Master Aryan race
that would eventually rule the
00:01:47.20\00:01:50.56
world.
00:01:50.56\00:01:52.83
They'd pick out what
they considered to be the most
00:01:52.83\00:01:55.00
Aryan-looking and racially pure
men and women, and under the
00:01:55.00\00:01:57.80
direction of the SS and Heinrich
Himmler, they ran a special
00:01:57.80\00:02:01.23
program where those people were
essentially sent to breeding
00:02:01.23\00:02:04.66
farms around Europe to give
birth to supposedly racially
00:02:04.66\00:02:08.00
pure children.
00:02:08.00\00:02:09.70
And when Guntram went to find
the truth about his dad, that's
00:02:09.70\00:02:12.93
what he discovered.
00:02:12.93\00:02:14.60
His dad wasn't a truck
driver killed in Croatia.
00:02:14.60\00:02:17.70
He was a Major-General in
the SS who had a wife and three
00:02:17.70\00:02:21.03
children of his own when he
got Guntram's mother pregnant.
00:02:21.03\00:02:24.93
His mother then went to one
of the "Lebensborn" clinics, and
00:02:24.93\00:02:28.23
thus Guntram
came into the world.
00:02:28.23\00:02:31.00
His real father was deemed a
war criminal and had to flee to
00:02:31.00\00:02:33.80
Argentina after the war, where
he lived until his death in
00:02:33.80\00:02:37.03
1970.
00:02:37.03\00:02:38.76
But as bad as that was, it
wasn't the only dark secret in
00:02:38.76\00:02:41.76
his life.
00:02:41.76\00:02:43.03
He discovered, to his horror,
that Heinrich Himmler, the
00:02:43.03\00:02:46.63
infamous director of the
death camps, was his godfather.
00:02:46.63\00:02:50.30
Imagine: thinking one thing
about your origins all your
00:02:50.30\00:02:54.20
life, and then discovering the
horrible truth: your birth was a
00:02:54.20\00:02:59.23
part of a
systematic eugenics program.
00:02:59.23\00:03:02.90
Thousands of Germans, after
the war, suffered the trauma of
00:03:02.90\00:03:06.50
making that very discovery.
00:03:06.50\00:03:09.50
Some of the most basic questions
people ask during the course of
00:03:09.50\00:03:12.66
their lifetime are things
like "Who am I?", and "Why am I
00:03:12.66\00:03:15.36
here?"
00:03:15.36\00:03:21.70
Anybody who lives long
enough and gives life even a few
00:03:21.70\00:03:24.30
moments of serious thought
is going to ask those kinds of
00:03:24.30\00:03:27.36
questions.
00:03:27.36\00:03:39.23
In his book Anna Karenina,
Leo Tolstoy presents a Russian
00:03:39.23\00:03:42.90
aristocrat by the name of
Konstantin Levin who asks three
00:03:42.90\00:03:46.50
essential
questions: (1) What am I?
00:03:46.50\00:03:49.90
(2) Where am I?,
and (3) Why am I here?
00:03:49.90\00:03:59.43
As the story goes, Konstantin
was looking at his estate when
00:03:59.43\00:04:02.23
he suddenly wonders:
what does it all mean?
00:04:02.23\00:04:06.36
"When these people are all dead,
and I'm dead, too - what will
00:04:06.36\00:04:09.93
all of this mean?"
00:04:09.93\00:04:11.80
I had a conversation once with a
philosophy professor in London,
00:04:11.80\00:04:14.83
England who told me that
philosophers still wrestle with
00:04:14.83\00:04:17.70
the big questions: I said,
"Michael, what are those big
00:04:17.70\00:04:20.23
questions" and he told me: "Here
are the big questions that we
00:04:20.23\00:04:23.70
are trying to get to the bottom
of: Who am I, and why am I
00:04:23.70\00:04:27.23
here?"
00:04:27.23\00:04:28.56
There's something in the human
heart that cries desperately to
00:04:28.56\00:04:31.60
know what life is all about.
00:04:31.60\00:04:33.43
And what a waste to live here
without knowing why you're here
00:04:33.43\00:04:36.93
and how you're
supposed to spend your time.
00:04:36.93\00:04:41.50
Most people wander through
life not knowing what their life
00:04:41.50\00:04:44.80
really means.
00:04:44.80\00:04:47.20
And then, when it's too late
they discover what they could
00:04:47.20\00:04:50.60
have done.
00:04:50.60\00:04:52.66
So let me ask you: how, exactly,
are you supposed to live your
00:04:52.66\00:04:56.30
life if you don't know why
you're here or where you come
00:04:56.30\00:04:59.70
from?
00:04:59.70\00:05:01.80
Richard Dawkins, the famous
Oxford zoologist and atheist,
00:05:01.80\00:05:04.96
believes quite strongly
that he's got the answer.
00:05:04.96\00:05:07.86
He says that we are cosmic
accidents created by chance
00:05:07.86\00:05:11.96
through the unconscious
mechanism of random mutation and
00:05:11.96\00:05:15.00
natural selection.
00:05:15.00\00:05:17.16
In other words, more conscious
thought and purpose went into
00:05:17.16\00:05:20.63
somebody scribbling some
graffiti under a bridge than
00:05:20.63\00:05:23.46
went into the creation of you
and me - or the whole universe.
00:05:23.46\00:05:27.50
But look at the world around
you: everything seems to have a
00:05:27.50\00:05:30.16
purpose.
00:05:30.16\00:05:31.83
Ears have purpose, the brain of
a dolphin has a purpose, the sun
00:05:31.83\00:05:36.06
has a purpose, the DNA of
a flower has purpose, and yet
00:05:36.06\00:05:40.76
we're being asked to believe
that everything around us is an
00:05:40.76\00:05:43.43
accident and has
no purpose at all?
00:05:43.43\00:05:46.63
After more than a century of
evolutionary theory being taught
00:05:46.63\00:05:50.33
in the classroom, millions
and millions of Americans still
00:05:50.33\00:05:54.00
don't believe it.
00:05:54.00\00:05:56.40
Most of us still believe that
God purposely created us - in
00:05:56.40\00:06:00.26
His image.
00:06:00.26\00:06:01.80
All the hypotheses and
speculations out there about
00:06:01.80\00:06:05.30
there being a "the selfish
gene," or "natural selection,"
00:06:05.30\00:06:09.83
or a primordial soup -
just don't make the same kind of
00:06:09.83\00:06:12.60
sense found in the first words
of the Bible: Genesis 1, verse 1
00:06:12.60\00:06:17.56
says, "In the beginning
God created the heavens and the
00:06:17.56\00:06:22.56
earth" (Genesis 1:1).
00:06:22.56\00:06:23.93
You know, in those few words,
we have a radically different
00:06:23.93\00:06:27.83
perspective on the question of
life than the stuff we learned
00:06:27.83\00:06:31.10
in high school biology.
00:06:31.10\00:06:33.36
Are we really just the chance
product of cold cosmic forces
00:06:33.36\00:06:36.30
who never even saw us coming?
00:06:36.30\00:06:38.73
Or are we the purposeful
creations of a loving God who
00:06:38.73\00:06:42.40
made us, as the Bible
says, in His own image?
00:06:42.40\00:06:47.10
There's quite a stark contrast
between those two views.
00:06:47.10\00:06:50.60
Guntram Weber thought he had
it pretty bad, having Heinrich
00:06:50.60\00:06:54.50
Himmler as his godfather.
00:06:54.50\00:06:56.63
But at least his life had some
sort of misguided design to it.
00:06:56.63\00:06:59.10
As bad as the picture was, I
think it's even worse to be told
00:06:59.10\00:07:03.56
that your
great-great-great-great-grandfat
00:07:03.56\00:07:07.30
her was a single-celled organism
coming out of a primordial soup.
00:07:07.30\00:07:10.10
Suddenly, your life has
no kind of meaning at all.
00:07:10.10\00:07:17.43
So - can a painting of a water
lily suddenly become an actual
00:07:17.43\00:07:24.23
water lily?
00:07:24.23\00:07:26.56
Are you sure you know
the answer to that question?
00:07:26.56\00:07:30.43
More in just a moment.
00:07:30.43\00:07:48.76
It's time for
today's Bible question.
00:07:48.76\00:07:50.63
Thanks for submitting Bible
questions to It Is Written.
00:07:50.63\00:07:53.90
How can a person really
believe the Bible is true?
00:07:53.90\00:07:58.20
It was written years ago, it has
been copied so many times, it
00:07:58.20\00:08:01.50
was written by a lot of
different people and those
00:08:01.50\00:08:03.73
people wrote different parts
of the Bible at different times.
00:08:03.73\00:08:08.26
Help me believe the
Bible is believable.
00:08:08.26\00:08:11.80
Great question.
00:08:11.80\00:08:12.56
Thank you.
00:08:12.56\00:08:13.40
I'll do my best.
00:08:13.40\00:08:14.56
You know what's funny?
00:08:14.56\00:08:16.20
There are historical books that
not many people question when it
00:08:16.20\00:08:19.40
comes to authenticity.
00:08:19.40\00:08:22.26
Let me explain this a little.
00:08:22.26\00:08:23.86
A historian named Tacitus wrote
The Annals of Imperial Rome.
00:08:23.86\00:08:28.26
Few people question its accuracy
or veracity, even though what is
00:08:28.26\00:08:31.36
available today comes from a
copy, not the original, and that
00:08:31.36\00:08:34.93
copy doesn't NEARLY
date back to the original.
00:08:34.93\00:08:37.90
I'm not knocking Tacitus and the
Annals of Imperial Rome - just
00:08:37.90\00:08:42.26
pointing out that there's a
bit of a double standard when it
00:08:42.26\00:08:44.80
comes to considering
the accuracy of the Bible.
00:08:44.80\00:08:48.26
There are several
reasons you can trust the Bible.
00:08:48.26\00:08:50.66
I'll name just a few.
00:08:50.66\00:08:52.16
Historically it stands up.
00:08:52.16\00:08:53.50
Luke, who wrote Luke and the
Book of Acts, is a very accurate
00:08:53.50\00:08:57.00
historian, and the historical
details found in what he wrote
00:08:57.00\00:09:02.53
stand the test of
thorough scrutiny.
00:09:02.53\00:09:05.50
Archaeology has validated
the Bible again and again.
00:09:05.50\00:09:09.20
On numerous occasions it has
been said that portions of the
00:09:09.20\00:09:12.16
Bible couldn't be
trusted because they couldn't be
00:09:12.16\00:09:13.73
validated by the
archaeological record.
00:09:13.73\00:09:15.46
But again and again
archaeologists have found
00:09:15.46\00:09:19.33
records of cities or other
evidences that show the Bible
00:09:19.33\00:09:23.20
record was accurate after all.
00:09:23.20\00:09:24.90
This has
happened many, many times.
00:09:24.90\00:09:28.80
Then there are the manuscripts.
00:09:28.80\00:09:30.20
There are hundreds of old
manuscripts or portions of
00:09:30.20\00:09:33.23
manuscripts that show that what
has come down to us today is
00:09:33.23\00:09:36.26
consistent with what was written
hundreds and hundreds of years
00:09:36.26\00:09:40.26
ago.
00:09:40.26\00:09:41.63
The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered
in the late 1940s and early
00:09:41.63\00:09:45.00
1950s are compelling evidence
that the Bible is legitimate.
00:09:45.00\00:09:49.00
They date back as far back as
before the time of Christ, and
00:09:49.00\00:09:54.33
they show us that the Bible we
read today is fundamentally the
00:09:54.33\00:09:55.73
same as what was
written way back then.
00:09:55.73\00:09:59.03
Now the 'differences' that exist
in manuscripts are generally so
00:09:59.03\00:10:03.26
small that they're
practically irrelevant.
00:10:03.26\00:10:05.60
You don't find a manuscript
where Jesus says He isn't the
00:10:05.60\00:10:08.40
Son of God, or where the Christ
is teaching something bizarre.
00:10:08.40\00:10:13.13
And consider prophecy.
00:10:13.13\00:10:15.86
Many prophecies of the
Bible have been fulfilled.
00:10:15.86\00:10:17.86
And this demonstrates, I think,
conclusively that the Bible can
00:10:17.86\00:10:20.66
be trusted.
00:10:20.66\00:10:22.03
When you've got predictions made
that name a king before he is
00:10:22.03\00:10:25.83
born or that name an a certain
invader or conquerer before he
00:10:25.83\00:10:30.43
is born and then
these things come to pass...
00:10:30.43\00:10:33.30
When you have all those
prophecies about Jesus coming to
00:10:33.30\00:10:35.20
the world - one saying He would
be crucified, another saying not
00:10:35.20\00:10:39.00
a bone would be broken, another
saying He would be born in
00:10:39.00\00:10:42.53
Bethlehem, another saying He
would die in dishonour, another
00:10:42.53\00:10:44.06
saying He would be rejected by
the one He came to save, and on
00:10:44.06\00:10:49.26
and on...
00:10:49.26\00:10:50.16
You've got a real problem if
you want to argue against the
00:10:50.16\00:10:53.33
inspiration of the Bible.
00:10:53.33\00:10:55.20
What are you going to
do with all that evidence?
00:10:55.20\00:10:58.23
But you know what?
00:10:58.23\00:11:00.66
At the end of the day we
accept the Bible by faith.
00:11:00.66\00:11:03.60
The Bible's critics raise fair
questions at times - sometimes
00:11:03.60\00:11:07.10
questions that aren't
easy to answer, especially to
00:11:07.10\00:11:09.56
everybody's satisfaction.
00:11:09.56\00:11:10.73
But there's enough clear - what
I would call - "evidence" for us
00:11:10.73\00:11:15.83
to know the Bible
really is the word of God.
00:11:15.83\00:11:18.73
You can accept it by faith.
00:11:18.73\00:11:21.03
Not blind faith, but
reasonable, studied faith.
00:11:21.03\00:11:25.30
There are many, many good
reasons to trust the Bible.
00:11:25.30\00:11:28.03
So many that I'm not sure how
someone can really be confident
00:11:28.03\00:11:32.66
in rejecting the Bible.
00:11:32.66\00:11:34.90
If there's a question you would
like answered, please send it to
00:11:34.90\00:11:37.46
me at ItIsWritten.com.
00:11:37.46\00:11:39.36
I'll do my very best to get
your Bible question answered.
00:11:39.36\00:11:44.63
If you have a Bible question
for Pastor John Bradshaw, please
00:11:44.63\00:11:48.30
write to It Is Written, Box O,
Thousand Oaks, California 91359
00:11:48.30\00:11:53.30
or visit our website
itiswritten.com and send us your
00:11:53.30\00:11:56.56
questions on-line.
00:11:56.56\00:11:59.86
You know, one of the great
puzzles of modern science is the
00:11:59.86\00:12:02.80
question of life itself:
where exactly, did it come from?
00:12:02.80\00:12:07.60
How did these chemicals products
- water, carbon, and protein-how
00:12:07.60\00:12:12.86
did they make the jump from
being - well, water, carbon, and
00:12:12.86\00:12:16.66
protein - to a living thing?
00:12:16.66\00:12:19.16
The idea of a painting of a
water lily suddenly becoming a
00:12:19.16\00:12:22.90
real water lily
seems impossible.
00:12:22.90\00:12:26.00
How would the painting
make that kind of jump?
00:12:26.00\00:12:29.30
It's not just a small tweak here
and there and suddenly then the
00:12:29.30\00:12:31.90
painting comes to life!
00:12:31.90\00:12:33.70
It just doesn't seem feasible.
00:12:33.70\00:12:35.70
But the old, old story you find
the Bible DOES seem feasible.
00:12:35.70\00:12:40.26
God CREATED life with purpose
and design - and with human
00:12:40.26\00:12:45.86
beings, He took special steps
to make something very special.
00:12:45.86\00:12:50.76
Listen to what the Bible says,
in Genesis 2:7 "the LORD God
00:12:50.76\00:12:55.66
formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his
00:12:55.66\00:13:00.10
nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living soul"
00:13:00.10\00:13:05.30
(Genesis 2:7).
00:13:05.30\00:13:06.80
I want you to notice the
intimacy: it says God breathed
00:13:06.80\00:13:10.20
into our nostrils
the breath of life.
00:13:10.20\00:13:12.80
According to the Biblical
account, it wasn't an accident.
00:13:12.80\00:13:16.16
Someone who cares deeply about
our existence put us here on
00:13:16.16\00:13:19.66
purpose, for a reason.
00:13:19.66\00:13:22.26
Now take that version of human
origins and contrast it with
00:13:22.26\00:13:25.26
what the late paleontologist
Stephen Jay Gould said about
00:13:25.26\00:13:30.60
human origins: He said "We are
here because one odd group of
00:13:30.60\00:13:35.30
fishes had a peculiar fin
anatomy that could transform
00:13:35.30\00:13:40.10
into legs for terrestrial
creatures; because the earth
00:13:40.10\00:13:44.00
never froze entirely during
an ice age; because a small and
00:13:44.00\00:13:48.76
tenuous species, arising in
Africa a quarter of a million
00:13:48.76\00:13:53.10
years ago, has managed, so far,
to survive by hook and by crook.
00:13:53.10\00:13:59.10
We may yearn for a 'higher'
answer - but none exists."
00:13:59.10\00:14:06.53
I can't imagine anything more
hopeless - and when it comes to
00:14:06.53\00:14:10.96
the really important questions
in life, it just doesn't bring
00:14:10.96\00:14:14.50
any lasting satisfaction.
00:14:14.50\00:14:16.60
And with all due respect, how
could Dr. Gould be so certain?
00:14:16.60\00:14:20.56
He just wasn't there
when it supposedly happened.
00:14:20.56\00:14:23.23
He didn't see any of
his hypothesis take place.
00:14:23.23\00:14:26.50
Instead, he took a few bits of
scattered data - a little piece
00:14:26.50\00:14:30.90
here, a little piece there - and
then building on a whole bunch
00:14:30.90\00:14:35.00
of unproven assumptions,
he cooked up a theory of human
00:14:35.00\00:14:38.76
origins that just
doesn't really make sense.
00:14:38.76\00:14:41.56
When I listen to people like
Dawkins and Gould, and all these
00:14:41.56\00:14:44.10
other people who seem to insist
that life is an accident, it
00:14:44.10\00:14:46.66
reminds me of a passage in the
book of Job where God asks Job
00:14:46.66\00:14:51.96
some pretty tough questions.
00:14:51.96\00:14:55.00
I'm turning to the book of
Job: Job 38:4 and it says this:
00:14:55.00\00:15:03.40
"Where were you when I laid
the foundations of the earth?
00:15:03.40\00:15:07.73
Tell Me, if you
have understanding.
00:15:07.73\00:15:11.03
Who determined its measurements?
00:15:11.03\00:15:13.96
Surely you know!
00:15:13.96\00:15:15.33
Or who stretched
the line upon it?
00:15:15.33\00:15:19.56
Just try to imagine standing
in front of God, attempting to
00:15:19.56\00:15:25.36
answer questions like this.
00:15:25.36\00:15:27.50
And the rest of the chapter
has a lot more questions.
00:15:27.50\00:15:30.26
The point of it is really pretty
simple: none of us were there.
00:15:30.26\00:15:32.26
We're building a theory of human
origins from scratch, based on a
00:15:32.26\00:15:34.96
tiny bits of information and
a whole lot of human arrogance.
00:15:34.96\00:15:39.76
You know, I've heard people say
that it's arrogant to suggest
00:15:39.76\00:15:44.10
that human life is special, and
that Christians are arrogant to
00:15:44.10\00:15:46.76
suggest that people have a
special place on planet earth,
00:15:46.76\00:15:49.96
but sometimes I really have to
wonder: when we want to be smart
00:15:49.96\00:15:54.23
enough think we think we hold
the key to the universe, and
00:15:54.23\00:15:57.83
we're too proud to think that
Someone might just have a claim
00:15:57.83\00:16:00.96
on our lives, where
does the real arrogance lie?
00:16:00.96\00:16:06.93
And in the view offered by
Dawkins and Darwin and Gould,
00:16:06.93\00:16:11.53
the universe doesn't last.
00:16:11.53\00:16:13.26
Follow these guys' theories
to their logical conclusion, and
00:16:13.26\00:16:17.60
you get a pretty
hopeless picture.
00:16:17.60\00:16:19.53
Eventually, the universe just
collapses - and nothing will
00:16:19.53\00:16:22.33
have meant anything.
00:16:22.33\00:16:24.93
But the story given in
the Bible bubles with hope.
00:16:24.93\00:16:30.03
It admits the sad condition of
our planet, it explains the pain
00:16:30.03\00:16:32.63
and suffering we're living with,
and it holds out a promise that
00:16:32.63\00:16:37.03
answers the toughest
questions we can ask.
00:16:37.03\00:16:44.53
To put it simply,
God offers us a future.
00:16:44.53\00:16:47.23
Listen to His promise, it's
found at the end of the book of
00:16:47.23\00:16:49.56
Isaiah: "For, behold, I create
new heavens and a new earth: and
00:16:49.56\00:16:52.53
the former shall not be
remembered, nor come into mind"
00:16:52.53\00:16:55.83
(Isaiah 65:17).
00:16:55.83\00:16:59.40
If life were really meaningless,
I don't think so many people -
00:16:59.40\00:17:01.83
for so many years - would
have asked so many questions.
00:17:01.83\00:17:04.83
If you and I are just machines
that fell together by accident,
00:17:04.83\00:17:08.36
why would we even care
about the meaning of life.
00:17:08.36\00:17:11.56
But if our lives are the
creation of a loving, caring
00:17:11.56\00:17:14.06
God, who has our best in mind,
the questions you've got about
00:17:14.06\00:17:17.93
life begin to make sense.
00:17:17.93\00:17:21.76
They're kind of a homing
beacon, steering you back into a
00:17:21.76\00:17:25.00
relationship with God.
00:17:25.00\00:17:27.06
Now in the book of Ephesians,
the Bible says this, Ephesians
00:17:27.06\00:17:32.53
1:4, "...He chose us in Him
before the foundation of the
00:17:32.53\00:17:35.86
world, that we should be
holy and without blame before
00:17:35.86\00:17:40.03
Him...."
00:17:40.03\00:17:41.26
(Eph.
00:17:41.26\00:17:42.56
1:4) You didn't just happen: you
were chosen, and you still are.
00:17:42.56\00:17:45.03
Because of what God did for you
at the cross of Calvary, you are
00:17:45.03\00:17:48.46
free to answer the call in
your heart and rediscover your
00:17:48.46\00:17:52.13
original purpose.
00:17:52.13\00:17:54.53
Here's another passage found in
2 Timothy 1:9, where the Bible
00:17:54.53\00:17:57.73
tells us that you and I
have been called, "with a holy
00:17:57.73\00:18:03.13
calling, not according to our
works, but according to His own
00:18:03.13\00:18:07.10
purpose and grace which
was given to us in Christ Jesus
00:18:07.10\00:18:10.93
before time began."
00:18:10.93\00:18:14.66
Over and over again, the Bible
says that you were chosen and
00:18:14.66\00:18:17.53
called before the
creation of the world.
00:18:17.53\00:18:21.76
There's a reason you wonder
about the meaning of your life.
00:18:21.76\00:18:24.73
Dig a little deeper into your
past, and you're going to make a
00:18:24.73\00:18:29.76
remarkable discovery: your
life really does have purpose.
00:18:29.76\00:18:34.13
You were put here intentionally,
and there are forces at work in
00:18:34.13\00:18:36.83
this universe to keep you
from discovering the truth.
00:18:36.83\00:18:41.76
In a moment, an incredible story
about two men who found out who
00:18:41.76\00:18:46.40
they really were.
00:18:46.40\00:18:51.86
In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God
says "It is written 'Man shall
00:18:51.86\00:18:57.43
not live by bread alone but by
every word that proceeds out of
00:18:57.43\00:19:00.13
the mouth of God'."
00:19:00.13\00:19:01.20
Every Word is a one minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:19:01.20\00:19:04.00
presented by Pastor John
Bradshaw and designed especially
00:19:04.00\00:19:07.60
for busy people like you.
00:19:07.60\00:19:09.23
Look for Every Word on selected
networks or watch it on-line
00:19:09.23\00:19:12.70
everyday on our
website itiswritten.com.
00:19:12.70\00:19:16.83
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:19:16.83\00:19:19.33
Watch Every Word.
00:19:19.33\00:19:20.33
You'll be glad you did.
00:19:20.33\00:19:21.60
Here's a sample: I'm sometimes
00:19:21.60\00:19:32.60
intrigued by people who
decide it isn't important
00:19:32.60\00:19:34.90
for God's people to obey
Him and keep His commandments.
00:19:34.90\00:19:38.13
Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:8, "But
we now that the law is good, if
00:19:38.13\00:19:42.23
a man use it lawfully."
00:19:42.23\00:19:43.93
It is true that the law can be
used 'unlawfully' - as a set of
00:19:43.93\00:19:46.43
rules, something to argue about,
as a club with which to batter
00:19:46.43\00:19:50.13
someone.
00:19:50.13\00:19:51.33
But when God's law is written
in your heart, and when God's
00:19:51.33\00:19:53.90
Spirit is guiding your
life, you'll recognize the
00:19:53.90\00:19:57.00
commandments of God to be
"perfect" and "truth", as David
00:19:57.00\00:19:59.23
said, and "the perfect
law of liberty" as James said.
00:19:59.23\00:20:02.73
You'll be able to say with the
Psalmist, "I delight to do your
00:20:02.73\00:20:05.36
will, O my God, [because]
your law is written in my heart.
00:20:05.36\00:20:09.43
There are people who'll want to
misuse and misapply God's law,
00:20:09.43\00:20:11.73
that's true.
00:20:11.73\00:20:12.93
But the law of God is "good",
when it is used lawfully.
00:20:12.93\00:20:16.60
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:20:16.60\00:20:18.96
Let's live today by every word.
00:20:18.96\00:20:25.66
Perhaps something in
today's program has sparked your
00:20:25.66\00:20:27.93
interest in greater Bible study.
00:20:27.93\00:20:29.13
We invite you to visit our
website itiswritten.com where
00:20:29.13\00:20:33.56
you will find a host
of inspirational resources
00:20:33.56\00:20:36.76
including free Bible study
guides, there's also a complete
00:20:36.76\00:20:39.53
archive of past television
programs and special video
00:20:39.53\00:20:42.50
seminars that you can
view on-line or download.
00:20:42.50\00:20:45.90
Discover more at itiswritten.com
Somebody doesn't want you to
00:20:45.90\00:20:52.16
know who you really are.
00:20:52.16\00:20:54.50
You know, a little while ago, I
came across a remarkable story.
00:20:54.50\00:20:57.90
In the state of Maine, there
were two men - Gary and Randy -
00:20:57.90\00:21:01.13
working at the
same furniture company.
00:21:01.13\00:21:03.30
Customers and coworkers alike
couldn't help but notice that
00:21:03.30\00:21:05.83
they two guys
looked a lot alike.
00:21:05.83\00:21:08.23
Both of them had light hair,
both of them had stocky builds,
00:21:08.23\00:21:11.63
they both wore
baseball caps and goatees.
00:21:11.63\00:21:15.10
Their mannerisms and appearance
were so much alike that people
00:21:15.10\00:21:17.50
used to ask if
they were brothers.
00:21:17.50\00:21:19.80
But of course, they weren't -
because if they were brothers,
00:21:19.80\00:21:22.26
they would have
grown up together, right?
00:21:22.26\00:21:24.70
Then one day Randy asked
Gary if he knew the names of his
00:21:24.70\00:21:27.93
biological parents, and to his
surprise, they were the same as
00:21:27.93\00:21:32.03
his biological parents.
00:21:32.03\00:21:33.83
And the fact that they were both
adopted really started raising
00:21:33.83\00:21:36.46
some important questions.
00:21:36.46\00:21:38.73
Randy knew that he had a brother
out there somewhere, and so he
00:21:38.73\00:21:42.90
asked Gary what
his birthday was.
00:21:42.90\00:21:45.10
It was June 10, 1974 - the same
year that his brother had been
00:21:45.10\00:21:48.60
born.
00:21:48.60\00:21:50.40
Now think about this very
carefully: what are the odds
00:21:50.40\00:21:52.86
that two brothers actually
worked together in the same
00:21:52.86\00:21:56.50
company all those years, and
didn't realize that they were
00:21:56.50\00:22:00.86
brothers?
00:22:00.86\00:22:02.33
What twists of fate had
to happen to bring them both
00:22:02.33\00:22:05.33
together on the same payroll
- and how many days - weeks -
00:22:05.33\00:22:09.66
years - had actually been lost
because they didn't realize just
00:22:09.66\00:22:14.83
how close their
family really was?
00:22:14.83\00:22:17.53
And now think about
yourself here on planet earth.
00:22:17.53\00:22:25.83
Your heart tells you
that your life is important.
00:22:25.83\00:22:29.23
You've got this overwhelming
sense that you were put here for
00:22:29.23\00:22:31.53
a reason.
00:22:31.53\00:22:32.93
You might struggle to know what
that reason is, but you just
00:22:32.93\00:22:36.56
can't shake the feeling.
00:22:36.56\00:22:40.96
Maybe at night, you look up at
the stars, wondering if Somebody
00:22:40.96\00:22:43.56
is really out there.
00:22:43.56\00:22:47.33
Maybe, in the quiet moments
of your life, you find yourself
00:22:47.33\00:22:50.26
wanting to talk to Someone -
wanting to have a relationship.
00:22:50.26\00:22:55.83
In every human heart, there's
this feeling that we've been
00:22:55.83\00:22:58.26
disconnected - that
we're missing out on the most
00:22:58.26\00:23:01.00
important
relationship in the world.
00:23:01.00\00:23:03.63
Some people describe it as
feeling a little bit homesick -
00:23:03.63\00:23:07.26
as if we recognize that we
really belong somewhere else, in
00:23:07.26\00:23:10.50
a different set
of circumstances.
00:23:10.50\00:23:13.23
That feeling, according
to the Bible, is universal.
00:23:13.23\00:23:16.63
In Ecclesiastes 3:11, the Bible
says that God has put "eternity
00:23:16.63\00:23:21.23
in the heart."
00:23:21.23\00:23:27.10
In the last century and a half,
there have been a lot of voices
00:23:27.10\00:23:29.80
telling us that our
existence doesn't mean anything.
00:23:29.80\00:23:33.30
But after all this time,
they're failing to convince us.
00:23:33.30\00:23:38.26
The call in your
heart just won't go away.
00:23:38.26\00:23:41.53
New theories of human origins
have failed to kill the cry of
00:23:41.53\00:23:44.70
our hearts to
know who we really are.
00:23:44.70\00:23:47.80
And who are we?
00:23:47.80\00:23:49.53
We are beings made in the image
of God, who promised us eternal
00:23:49.53\00:23:54.70
life with Him long
before the world even began.
00:23:54.70\00:23:59.96
So right now, only one more
question remains: Are you going
00:23:59.96\00:24:03.93
to claim your
meaningful life with God?
00:24:03.93\00:24:08.10
According to the Bible, it's
yours for the asking - and when
00:24:08.10\00:24:11.30
you ask, you're going to
discover that He's been there
00:24:11.30\00:24:15.16
all along.
00:24:15.16\00:24:16.66
It's just that maybe
you didn't recognize Him.
00:24:16.66\00:24:20.10
But will you
recognize Him right now?
00:24:20.10\00:24:22.83
Let's pray.
00:24:22.83\00:24:23.93
We will thank God that
he made us for a purpose.
00:24:23.93\00:24:27.26
He made us in his image and he
made both you and me so that we
00:24:27.26\00:24:32.16
might spend eternity with him.
00:24:32.16\00:24:33.70
Let's pray.
00:24:33.70\00:24:37.36
Our father in heaven, we
thank you that we are not just
00:24:37.36\00:24:39.63
accidents.
00:24:39.63\00:24:40.96
We thank you that life not
meaningless but that its full of
00:24:40.96\00:24:43.00
purpose and we pray claiming
your purpose for our life right
00:24:43.00\00:24:47.80
now.
00:24:47.80\00:24:49.63
You made us, and not just to
live and die, but you made us to
00:24:49.63\00:24:53.53
live on this earth and then, die
or not, live eternally with you
00:24:53.53\00:24:59.40
forever, in a place where it
is good, where the flowers don't
00:24:59.40\00:25:04.40
ever fade.
00:25:04.40\00:25:05.96
And where we will enjoy meaning
and purpose beyond our ability
00:25:05.96\00:25:12.46
right now to comprehend and
so we thank you that you are our
00:25:12.46\00:25:17.20
Father and that we are yours.
00:25:17.20\00:25:18.26
We belong to
you and we are glad.
00:25:18.26\00:25:21.50
And we pray in
Jesus' name, amen.
00:25:21.50\00:25:54.83
Perhaps our program today has
touched your heart and impressed
00:25:54.83\00:25:58.00
you with a personal
need for deeper Bible study.
00:25:58.00\00:26:00.83
Do you desire to listen to
God and follow where he leads?
00:26:00.83\00:26:03.86
We've got a wonderful resource
that can help you do that in a
00:26:03.86\00:26:07.03
systemic way, the
Discover Bible Guides.
00:26:07.03\00:26:10.26
These study guides will take
you through the essential truths
00:26:10.26\00:26:12.86
taught in Scripture.
00:26:12.86\00:26:13.93
They give you the big
picture showing how it all fits
00:26:13.93\00:26:16.83
together.
00:26:16.83\00:26:18.16
The Discover Bible Guides are a
wonderful way for you to become
00:26:18.16\00:26:21.06
grounded in the Word of God and
to see how Jesus Christ relates
00:26:21.06\00:26:24.53
to all areas of our lives.
00:26:24.53\00:26:26.93
So please call or write us and
the Discover Bible Guides will
00:26:26.93\00:26:30.36
be on their way to you and
the entire course is absolutely
00:26:30.36\00:26:33.66
free.
00:26:33.66\00:26:34.76
For even easier access, you
can obtain these wonderful Bible
00:26:34.76\00:26:38.06
lessons on-line on our website.
00:26:38.06\00:26:39.76
Here's the information you need.
00:26:39.76\00:26:44.20
You may request today's offer,
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00:26:47.80\00:26:51.23
Call right now.
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00:26:52.30\00:26:54.70
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00:26:54.70\00:26:58.06
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00:26:58.06\00:26:59.30
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00:27:02.00\00:27:04.96
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00:27:09.50\00:27:14.16
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00:27:14.16\00:27:16.63
Just visit our
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00:27:16.63\00:27:19.53
Also on line is a complete
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00:27:19.53\00:27:22.90
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00:27:35.76\00:27:40.76
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Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:40.76\00:27:47.73
And remember - It Is Written:
man shall not live by bread
00:27:47.73\00:27:52.60
alone, but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.
00:27:52.60\00:27:58.06