It has stood the test of time.
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God's book.
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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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Most people, when they
hear the name Rockefeller,
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think of a very rich
American family, or maybe the
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Rockefeller Center in New
York City, which is home to
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such famous places as
Radio City Music Hall and
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Christie's, the
world's largest auction house.
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Yet for many years the
name Rockefeller was hated and
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despised, it was a symbol
of corporate greed where the
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more powerful sweep
away the weaker and acquire
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more and more and more
for themselves--no matter
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who got crushed along the way.
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No wonder.
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The founder of the
dynasty, John D. Rockefeller,
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started in the oil business
in Cleveland during the 1800s,
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and--through a series of
backroom deals he created
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the monster
monopoly of Standard Oil.
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Because it was so
large, Standard Oil could cut
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prices, forcing all
competitors either to sell to
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it or go bankrupt, in which
case Rockefeller would simply
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buy up the ruined
company at discount rates.
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Rockefeller would come to
his competitors, show them his
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own books, show them the
financial behemoth that they
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were up against--and
then make them an offer.
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If they refused, he
simply put them out of business
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and then get
their company anyway.
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He was ruthless.
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He once told his brother
Frank, who had been working
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for a competing oil company:
We are going to buy out all
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the refiners in Cleveland.
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We will give
everyone a chance to come in.
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Those who
refuse will be crushed.
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If you don t sell
your company to us,
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it will be valueless.
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Frank refused, and John
D.--true his word--put his
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own brother's
company out of business!
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Now what adds an interesting
wrinkle to this sordid history
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is that John D. Rockefeller
was a church-going man.
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Even worse, he rationalized
his business dealings in,
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of all things--the
name of Christian charity!
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He had convinced himself
that he was actually doing good.
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He said that all these forced
acquisitions were the result of
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the most prosperous business
concern, his own, saying to
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the smaller and
less prosperous ones:
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We will stand in for the risks
and hazards of the refining
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business .
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Come with us and
we will do you good.
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We will undertake to save
you from the wrecks of the
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refining business.
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What others saw as cutthroat
and villainous business
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practices, John D. defined
as Christian benevolence.
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Now that would be
rationalization and
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presumption.
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Well I don t want to
judge John D. Rockefeller s
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heart, how he could
justify these nasty and vicious
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business practices in
the name of Christian charity
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really makes me wonder
This kind of thinking reminds me
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of a scene from a book
by Russian writer Fyodor
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Dostoyevsky, in which a
man cries out, God, forgive me
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for Christ's sake!
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and then cuts his
friends throat with a knife and
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steals his watch.
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Today we're going to take
a look at the Big Picture,
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really the biggest
picture you could imagine.
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It's clear that there's a
battle raging on Planet Earth.
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This is what the Bible writer
Paul was talking about when
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he said that we are not
fighting against flesh and
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blood, but against
principalities and powers.
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We're in a spiritual
battle, is what he was saying.
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Now let's see what we can learn
from Jesus and how he dealt
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with Satan, so that we can
do the same thing ourselves
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when faced with
similar struggles in this great
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controversy with a supernatural
cosmic power much greater
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than we are.
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Now, I can imagine
someone saying, Come on, John, a
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supernatural cosmic battle?
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Been watching too many
Star Wars movies or something?
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No, we re not talking about
the kind of journalism found
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in the tabloid headlines,
like the one which said,
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12 U.S. SENATORS
ARE SPACE ALIENS.
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(Someone said you can
tell that can't be true because
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the number is too low!)
You know, scientists working
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with the Search for
Extra Terrestrial Intelligence,
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believe that with the
billions of galaxies existing
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in the universe, there s a
good chance that other life
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might exist out there.
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The scientific term for
this is called astrobiology and
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it's a serious
attempt to seek out life in
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other parts of the universe.
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Now, with all due respect,
while these folks are aiming
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their radio telescopes into
the sky hoping for something
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from some far-away alien
civilization, the Bible teaches
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not only that extra-terrestrial
life exists, but that some of
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these beings are HERE,
on earth, and that some are
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hostile to us as well.
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Look at these verses, from
Revelation 12 and we ll begin
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with verse 7: And there
was war in heaven: Michael and
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his angels fought against the
dragon; and the dragon fought
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and his angels, And prevailed
not; neither was their place
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found any more in heaven.
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And the great dragon was cast
out, that old serpent, called
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the Devil, and Satan, which
deceiveth the whole world: he
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was cast out into the earth,
and his angels were cast out
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with him
(Revelation 12:7-9, KJV).
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A war in heaven?!
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A war here on
earth, that s one thing.
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But in heaven?
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How can that be?
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The short answer
comes down to one word.
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Love.
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Because love is the
overarching moral principle
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that permeates God s
universe, and love demands
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freedom.
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You can t love God, or
anyone, if you don t have
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moral freedom.
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You can't have love without
freedom any more than you
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could have a
triangle without three sides.
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Now in a moment, the man
who was married to a robot, and
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why that didn't
work out so well.
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???? Music ???? It's
time for today's Bible
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question and here it is.
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People say that Jesus couldn
t have worked miracles such
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as raising the dead and
healing the blind as these
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things just aren t possible.
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How can I believe in miracles?
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Good question.
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Let me try to
give you a good answer.
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There s a reason we call
them miracles, because they re
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extraordinary, they're
supernatural, not the sort of
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thing you can
explain by ordinary means.
00:07:05.60\00:07:08.46
So, can God do the
extraordinary and the
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supernatural?
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Keep in mind - this is
GOD we re talking about!
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If you asked me if my
own father could have worked
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miracles, I d
say no he couldn't.
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Now his ability to read
my mind was sometimes pretty
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incredible, but miracles?
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No.
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But this is God!
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The One who framed the universe!
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The One who created the world
and made people and created
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water and who made air.
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If He can do that -
can t He work miracles?
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All of that was a miracle.
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You might also want to
consider this: there are some
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things in our world
that are pretty incredible.
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We can t call them miracles
because we can explain them
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scientifically, but, for
example, even the idea that
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you can pick up a phone,
press some buttons, and then
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use it to talk to
somebody on the other side
00:07:55.73\00:07:58.06
of the world...
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The idea that these pictures
you are looking at right now
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are being transmitted to you.
00:08:02.43\00:08:04.60
Even people can do some
pretty incredible stuff.
00:08:04.60\00:08:08.20
Now if you want to put
upon God the limitations of
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faulty, frail human beings,
and say God can't do what we
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can't do - go ahead and do that.
00:08:16.10\00:08:18.30
But if you believe there is
a God at all - the One who gave
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life - you shouldn't be
too surprised that He can give
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that life back.
00:08:25.23\00:08:26.26
Surely the One who made
eyesight can restore it.
00:08:26.26\00:08:30.76
From a human standpoint,
miracles are unlikely, and
00:08:30.76\00:08:33.30
even impossible.
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But God is not a
mere human being.
00:08:34.83\00:08:38.23
God is God and he rides
high above the limitations of
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humanity.
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And how can you
believe in miracles?
00:08:45.63\00:08:47.90
You can believe in miracles
and God's miracle working
00:08:47.90\00:08:50.80
power by faith.
00:08:50.80\00:08:52.40
The Bible says they happened,
and your faith in the Bible
00:08:52.40\00:08:56.36
as believable and accurate
and trustworthy can lead you
00:08:56.36\00:09:01.16
to the place where you can
say, If the Bible says it, I
00:09:01.16\00:09:03.70
can believe it.
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People try to
limit God sometimes.
00:09:05.26\00:09:06.96
But God isn't small.
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He's big - and He's great.
00:09:08.50\00:09:12.00
Send your Bible questions
to us at www.ItIsWritten.com.
00:09:12.00\00:09:17.80
If you have a Bible question
for pastor John Bradshaw,
00:09:17.80\00:09:20.80
please write to It Is
Written, Box O, Thousand
00:09:20.80\00:09:24.30
Oaks, California
91359 or visit our website
00:09:24.30\00:09:28.10
itiswritten.com and send
us your questions on-line.
00:09:28.10\00:09:33.43
It Is Written is dedicated
to sharing the gospel around the
00:09:33.43\00:09:36.26
world.
00:09:36.26\00:09:37.23
Our dream is to
impact the world for God.
00:09:37.23\00:09:39.80
Our television program is
only one aspect of how we try
00:09:39.80\00:09:42.50
to accomplish that.
00:09:42.50\00:09:44.33
To discover more about It
is Written, I invite you to
00:09:44.33\00:09:47.00
visit our website
itiswritten.com and browse
00:09:47.00\00:09:50.23
the dozens of pages that
describe what we do and how
00:09:50.23\00:09:52.73
we do it.
00:09:52.73\00:09:54.30
You will also find an archive
of past programs in script
00:09:54.30\00:09:57.90
form, and as a streaming
video and audio files, along
00:09:57.90\00:10:01.46
with many other helpful
inspirational resources.
00:10:01.46\00:10:04.76
Let's get to know
each other a little better.
00:10:04.76\00:10:08.26
Visit our website
itiswritten.com today.
00:10:08.26\00:10:13.56
There was a sci-fi story
about a man who, having lost
00:10:13.56\00:10:16.23
his wife to death,
got a robot replacement.
00:10:16.23\00:10:19.56
He had everything about
her programmed in: looks,
00:10:19.56\00:10:22.80
vocabulary, diction, actions,
everything was the same as
00:10:22.80\00:10:26.30
his actual wife.
00:10:26.30\00:10:27.86
From all outward
appearances, it was his wife.
00:10:27.86\00:10:31.13
Except that it was
robot, a machine, and it did
00:10:31.13\00:10:35.46
everything his wife did,
not because it truly loved him,
00:10:35.46\00:10:38.93
but because it was
programmed to do so.
00:10:38.93\00:10:43.33
It had no more choice than
my computer does to start up
00:10:43.33\00:10:48.40
when I hit the start-up bottom.
00:10:48.40\00:10:50.20
And in the end he got rid of
it because the most important
00:10:50.20\00:10:51.36
ingredient was missing,
and that was love --which can
00:10:51.36\00:10:55.36
only exist when one has
freedom, only when one has
00:10:55.36\00:11:00.83
the option NOT to love.
00:11:00.83\00:11:02.03
And this powerful being,
Satan--given free will--chose
00:11:02.03\00:11:06.03
the not-to-love option and
eventually rebelled against
00:11:06.03\00:11:10.16
God.
00:11:10.16\00:11:11.06
As a result, he and these
other rebellious creatures,
00:11:11.06\00:11:13.30
who had free will too,
were cast out of heaven and are
00:11:13.30\00:11:19.30
now here on earth.
00:11:19.30\00:11:20.63
Here again is the
Bible, Revelation 12.
00:11:20.63\00:11:22.66
Therefore rejoice, ye
heavens, and ye that dwell in
00:11:22.66\00:11:25.36
them.
00:11:25.36\00:11:26.66
Woe to the inhabiters of
the earth and of the sea!
00:11:26.66\00:11:28.96
for the devil is come down
unto you, having great wrath,
00:11:28.96\00:11:32.96
because he knoweth that
he hath but a short time
00:11:32.96\00:11:35.63
(Revelation 12:12, KJV).
00:11:35.63\00:11:38.33
Woe to us!
00:11:38.33\00:11:39.46
Why?
00:11:39.46\00:11:41.10
Because the devil has come
down unto you and he is full
00:11:41.10\00:11:44.36
of wrath.
00:11:44.36\00:11:45.90
It s a real mistake to
allegorize Satan, to make him
00:11:45.90\00:11:48.96
out to a figment of human
imagination, just a symbol of
00:11:48.96\00:11:54.50
our darker side or the like.
00:11:54.50\00:11:55.80
My Bible talks again and
again about a literal being
00:11:55.80\00:12:00.23
who is at war
with us and with God.
00:12:00.23\00:12:02.33
Look at the following texts
and keep in mind two points
00:12:02.33\00:12:05.53
that are found in them:
first, the reality of the
00:12:05.53\00:12:08.53
devil; and second, the
fact that he is working against
00:12:08.53\00:12:12.33
us.
00:12:12.33\00:12:13.43
Firstly, 1 Peter 5:8,
the Bible says: Be sober, be
00:12:13.43\00:12:20.20
vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a
00:12:20.20\00:12:23.80
roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour
00:12:23.80\00:12:29.53
Ephesians 6:11, KJV Put on
the whole armour of God, that
00:12:29.53\00:12:35.63
ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the
00:12:35.63\00:12:37.26
devil And 2 Corinthians 2:11,
KJV, Lest Satan should get an
00:12:37.26\00:12:41.63
advantage of us: for we
are not ignorant of his devices
00:12:41.63\00:12:45.03
And before I go further,
there s one more text I want
00:12:45.03\00:12:48.96
to look at because it's one
of the most important ones in
00:12:48.96\00:12:52.96
all the Bible, one of the
most important texts that can
00:12:52.96\00:12:57.70
help us understand the nature
and the outcome of this great
00:12:57.70\00:13:00.66
controversy.
00:13:00.66\00:13:02.03
Talking about Jesus, the
Bible says in Hebrews 2:14
00:13:02.03\00:13:03.90
that: Forasmuch then as
the children are partakers of
00:13:03.90\00:13:12.63
flesh and blood, he also
himself likewise took part of
00:13:12.63\00:13:14.60
the same; that through death
he might destroy him that had
00:13:14.60\00:13:19.33
the power of death, that is,
the devil (Hebrews 2:14, KJV).
00:13:19.33\00:13:24.20
Notice that He will destroy
the one who had the power of
00:13:24.20\00:13:27.20
death, that is the devil.
00:13:27.20\00:13:28.56
Satan's ultimate
fate is to be destroyed.
00:13:28.56\00:13:31.56
We might be in a war, in a
battle, in a controversy, but
00:13:31.56\00:13:36.00
we know beforehand that the
good side wins, that God wins
00:13:36.00\00:13:39.83
and, in a nutshell, what
God is saying to us in the Bible
00:13:39.83\00:13:43.53
is this: Come on
over to the winning side.
00:13:43.53\00:13:47.96
Jesus has won the battle
for you, and He offers you the
00:13:47.96\00:13:49.83
fruits, the promise,
the guarantee of His victory
00:13:49.83\00:13:52.73
against Satan.
00:13:52.73\00:13:54.23
Talk about an offer!
00:13:54.23\00:13:55.53
I'd like to say, It's an
offer you can't refuse, but
00:13:55.53\00:13:59.36
in God s universe, we all
have free choice, and so we
00:13:59.36\00:14:03.00
can refuse.
00:14:03.00\00:14:05.56
The question is, Why would we?
00:14:05.56\00:14:09.30
When God offers us everything
and the devil offers us only
00:14:09.30\00:14:12.60
death and destruction, why
would we chose anything else?
00:14:12.60\00:14:15.76
If we do, it s because we are
allowing Satan to deceive us.
00:14:15.76\00:14:20.66
Remember, the Bible says that
he deceives the whole world.
00:14:20.66\00:14:25.86
But we don't have to be fooled.
00:14:25.86\00:14:27.46
We just don t have to be,
as Paul wrote, ignorant of his
00:14:27.46\00:14:31.06
devices, and one of the
ways we can know his devices is
00:14:31.06\00:14:35.20
through studying the
temptation in the wilderness,
00:14:35.20\00:14:38.90
and how Satan tried to
use his devices on Jesus and
00:14:38.90\00:14:42.26
failed.
00:14:42.26\00:14:43.86
First, Satan tried to
tempt Jesus in the area of
00:14:43.86\00:14:47.36
appetite, telling Jesus to
use His power to turn stones
00:14:47.36\00:14:50.46
into bread.
00:14:50.46\00:14:52.06
How did Jesus respond?
00:14:52.06\00:14:54.16
He used the power of God's
Word, saying to Satan: It is
00:14:54.16\00:14:58.20
written, Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every
00:14:58.20\00:15:03.36
word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God.
00:15:03.36\00:15:06.93
(Matthew 4:4, KJV).
00:15:06.93\00:15:09.00
Jesus didn't argue with
Satan, he didn't get into a
00:15:09.00\00:15:11.86
theological debate, and he
didn't try to reason with him.
00:15:11.86\00:15:15.16
He simply went to the
Bible and he quoted the Bible.
00:15:15.16\00:15:19.00
And that was enough
to shut the devil down.
00:15:19.00\00:15:21.66
There s an important lesson
there, when we struggle with
00:15:21.66\00:15:23.36
temptations.
00:15:23.36\00:15:25.56
We can go to God s Word
and claim His promises for
00:15:25.56\00:15:28.26
victory, just as Jesus did.
00:15:28.26\00:15:31.26
So, what happened
next in the wilderness?
00:15:31.26\00:15:33.76
That first ploy didn't work,
so Satan tried something else.
00:15:33.76\00:15:37.40
Here s Matthew s account
of the second temptation of
00:15:37.40\00:15:42.10
Jesus: Then the devil taketh
him up into the holy city,
00:15:42.10\00:15:46.90
and setteth him on a pinnacle
of the temple, And saith unto
00:15:46.90\00:15:50.06
him, If thou be the Son of
God, cast thyself down: for
00:15:50.06\00:15:54.26
it is written, He shall give
his angels charge concerning
00:15:54.26\00:15:58.16
thee: and in their hands
they shall bear thee up, lest at
00:15:58.16\00:16:02.43
any time thou dash
thy foot against a stone.
00:16:02.43\00:16:06.23
Jesus said unto him, It is
written again, Thou shalt not
00:16:06.23\00:16:11.16
tempt the Lord thy
God That's Matthew 4:5-7
00:16:11.16\00:16:16.53
Look at what s going on here.
00:16:16.53\00:16:18.40
Jesus used Scripture against
the devil, and so what does
00:16:18.40\00:16:21.63
the devil do?
00:16:21.63\00:16:22.80
He comes back to Jesus and
tempts him, this time quoting
00:16:22.80\00:16:26.13
Scripture himself!
00:16:26.13\00:16:27.96
Jesus used the Bible as
His means of countering the
00:16:27.96\00:16:30.86
devil's first attack in the
wilderness, and so the devil
00:16:30.86\00:16:34.03
tried to meet Jesus on His
own ground, quoting Scripture
00:16:34.03\00:16:36.90
back at Him.
00:16:36.90\00:16:38.90
And yet here's
an important point.
00:16:38.90\00:16:41.53
Though the devil
quotes Scripture, he really
00:16:41.53\00:16:44.03
misquotes it, taking it out
of context and trying to get
00:16:44.03\00:16:46.83
it to say something
different from what it meant.
00:16:46.83\00:16:50.20
This has been his ploy for
millennia now, and often used
00:16:50.20\00:16:53.93
for horrendous purposes too.
00:16:53.93\00:16:56.70
The devil has plenty of
folks willing to misquote and
00:16:56.70\00:16:59.43
misuse the Bible
for their own ends.
00:16:59.43\00:17:02.70
The difference
between presumption and faith.
00:17:02.70\00:17:06.76
That's straight ahead.
00:17:06.76\00:17:11.13
In Matthew 4:4 the Word
of God says It is written Man
00:17:11.13\00:17:15.00
shall not live by bread
alone but by every word that
00:17:15.00\00:17:18.50
proceeds out of
the mouth of God .
00:17:18.50\00:17:21.00
Every Word is a one minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:17:21.00\00:17:23.50
presented by Pastor
John Bradshaw and designed
00:17:23.50\00:17:26.60
especially for
busy people like you.
00:17:26.60\00:17:29.20
Look for Every Word on
selected networks or watch it
00:17:29.20\00:17:32.30
on-line everyday on our
website itiswritten.com.
00:17:32.30\00:17:36.30
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:17:36.30\00:17:38.66
Watch Every Word.
00:17:38.66\00:17:39.76
You ll be glad you did.
00:17:39.76\00:17:41.46
Here s a sample: In
Sequoia National Forest
00:17:41.46\00:17:53.26
recently an ancient
sequoia crashed to the ground.
00:17:53.26\00:17:56.63
The fall was caught on video.
00:17:56.63\00:17:57.96
A towering giant let go
of its grip on the earth, and
00:17:57.96\00:18:01.23
down it came after standing
for fifteen hundred years.
00:18:01.23\00:18:04.93
As majestic as these big
trees are - and I've seen
00:18:04.93\00:18:07.23
them right up close - sooner
or later (and usually much
00:18:07.23\00:18:10.03
later) they fall.
00:18:10.03\00:18:11.70
Everything does in the end.
00:18:11.70\00:18:13.13
Buildings are
demolished, people pass away.
00:18:13.13\00:18:15.73
Is there anything
that really lasts?
00:18:15.73\00:18:17.70
One thing.
00:18:17.70\00:18:18.83
Isaiah 40:8 says, The
grass withers, the flower fades,
00:18:18.83\00:18:21.73
but the word of
our God stands forever.
00:18:21.73\00:18:24.53
God s word never falls.
00:18:24.53\00:18:26.13
It's been attacked
but it is still true.
00:18:26.13\00:18:28.53
It's been criticized
and derided, demeaned and
00:18:28.53\00:18:31.06
disparaged, but it was true
when it was written and it's
00:18:31.06\00:18:33.76
true today.
00:18:33.76\00:18:34.06
It stands.
00:18:34.06\00:18:36.00
When everything about you is
giving way, trust the word of
00:18:36.00\00:18:38.03
God.
00:18:38.03\00:18:39.33
It stands forever.
00:18:39.33\00:18:40.56
I m John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:18:40.56\00:18:42.56
Let s live today by Every Word.
00:18:42.56\00:18:46.50
Planning for your financial
future is a vital aspect of
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Christian Stewardship.
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For this reason, It Is
Written is pleased to offer
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free planned giving
and estate services.
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For information on how
we can help you, please call
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1.800.992.2219.
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To receive additional
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life-income plans such as
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life, call today or visit
our special website: HYPERLINK
00:19:10.76\00:19:15.06
"http://www.hislegacy.com
You could also write to It Is
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Written, Planned
Giving and Trust Services,
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Box O, Thousand
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00:19:24.26\00:19:27.46
Our toll-free number again
is 1-800-992-2219 and our web
00:19:27.46\00:19:32.46
address: www.hislegacy.com
One of the worst examples of
00:19:32.46\00:19:41.10
somebody misquoting the Bible
was when, during a religious
00:19:41.10\00:19:45.20
war in Europe, a commander
stood over the city they were
00:19:45.20\00:19:48.66
about to attack and his
aide asked him, How are we going
00:19:48.66\00:19:52.60
to know who is on our
side who is the enemy?
00:19:52.60\00:19:55.10
The commander responded,
Kill em all and then, quoting
00:19:55.10\00:19:58.93
Scripture, or
actually misquoting it, added,
00:19:58.93\00:20:01.93
the Lord knoweth
them that are his.
00:20:01.93\00:20:05.83
And this is
what Satan does here.
00:20:05.83\00:20:07.30
In Matthew 4:6 he says to
Jesus, For it is written: He
00:20:07.30\00:20:11.80
shall give His angels charge
over you, and, In their hands
00:20:11.80\00:20:16.50
they shall bear you up, Lest
you dash your foot against a
00:20:16.50\00:20:19.93
stone.
00:20:19.93\00:20:21.43
" Now that all sounds nice
but the devil doesn't quote
00:20:21.43\00:20:24.06
it in its entirety.
00:20:24.06\00:20:26.20
He just takes a certain
part of it, omitting the rest.
00:20:26.20\00:20:28.86
The texts were from Psalm
91 and read like this: For he
00:20:28.86\00:20:34.26
shall give his angels charge
over thee, to keep thee in
00:20:34.26\00:20:37.93
all thy ways.
00:20:37.93\00:20:39.60
They shall bear thee up in
their hands, lest thou dash
00:20:39.60\00:20:42.90
thy foot against a
stone (Psalm 91:11-12, KJV).
00:20:42.90\00:20:46.73
He leaves out the
most important part.
00:20:46.73\00:20:49.76
God will give His angels
charge over you, to keep thee
00:20:49.76\00:20:53.50
in all thy ways, that is,
in all thy ways and paths of
00:20:53.50\00:20:57.56
righteousness, of
obedience of faithfulness.
00:20:57.56\00:21:02.13
That s the crucial qualifier
that Satan leaves out, trying
00:21:02.13\00:21:05.03
to give Jesus the idea
that it doesn't matter what He
00:21:05.03\00:21:08.50
does, God will
protect Him and be with Him.
00:21:08.50\00:21:10.90
But, as we saw, that s
not what the texts said.
00:21:10.90\00:21:15.60
The devil misquoted the
Scriptures and He certainly
00:21:15.60\00:21:19.03
didn t fool Jesus.
00:21:19.03\00:21:20.20
How did Jesus
respond to this temptation?
00:21:20.20\00:21:22.83
Back to Matthew, Ch 4.
00:21:22.83\00:21:26.53
Jesus said unto him, It is
written again, Thou shalt not
00:21:26.53\00:21:32.06
tempt the Lord thy
God (Matthew 4:7, KJV).
00:21:32.06\00:21:36.30
' He said it is written again.
00:21:36.30\00:21:40.10
Jesus went back to the Bible.
00:21:40.10\00:21:42.16
He didn t argue with
Satan, and He didn t point out
00:21:42.16\00:21:45.33
Satan's misuse of
the Bible, either.
00:21:45.33\00:21:47.80
Jesus just went right to
the Word of God and responded
00:21:47.80\00:21:50.13
with a text that rebuked
the devil s attempt to lead Him
00:21:50.13\00:21:53.80
into presumption.
00:21:53.80\00:21:55.53
Now I don't know any promises
in the Bible which tell me I
00:21:55.53\00:21:58.80
can deviate from obedience
and expect God to pour out
00:21:58.80\00:22:02.56
His blessings on me.
00:22:02.56\00:22:04.20
You still might get blessed,
you still might have success,
00:22:04.20\00:22:09.70
but that doesn't
mean it s from the Lord.
00:22:09.70\00:22:11.70
I find it hard to believe
that it was God s will for
00:22:11.70\00:22:13.53
John D.
00:22:13.53\00:22:14.46
Rockefeller to put all
those folks out of business and
00:22:14.46\00:22:16.76
swallow up their companies
through his shady and greedy
00:22:16.76\00:22:19.26
practices.
00:22:19.26\00:22:20.53
Just because something
is what the world would deem
00:22:20.53\00:22:22.60
successful, isn't necessarily
the same thing as being
00:22:22.60\00:22:25.76
blessed by God.
00:22:25.76\00:22:29.00
Hugh Hefner, by the
world s standards, is being
00:22:29.00\00:22:32.40
successful, but who would
say that God was blessing him?
00:22:32.40\00:22:36.26
People invoke God s name in
all sorts of schemes; people
00:22:36.26\00:22:40.46
will misquote Scripture to
justify even the most sordid
00:22:40.46\00:22:44.10
deeds; people will do
the most outrageous things,
00:22:44.10\00:22:48.86
believing for whatever
reason that God will bless their
00:22:48.86\00:22:51.10
efforts even if those efforts
are completely contrary to
00:22:51.10\00:22:55.30
His revealed will.
00:22:55.30\00:22:57.06
This is all presumption, and
that is what Jesus refused to
00:22:57.06\00:23:01.93
fall for and we should refuse
to fall for it too when we
00:23:01.93\00:23:05.33
are tempted to do things in
the name of God that He would
00:23:05.33\00:23:10.50
never sanction.
00:23:10.50\00:23:11.76
Presumption is the
counterfeit of faith.
00:23:11.76\00:23:13.76
Faith trusts in God s
promises, and brings forth
00:23:13.76\00:23:17.56
the fruits of obedience in
response to those promises.
00:23:17.56\00:23:21.63
Presumption, on the other
hand, claims those promises
00:23:21.63\00:23:24.93
but then uses them to
excuse or justify wrong actions.
00:23:24.93\00:23:28.63
Faith trusts that if we
obey God, if we walk in the path
00:23:28.63\00:23:34.56
of obedience, if we
comply with the conditions sets
00:23:34.56\00:23:37.90
forth in the Word, then
God will bless us according to
00:23:37.90\00:23:41.06
His will.
00:23:41.06\00:23:42.53
Presumption, on the other
hand, claims the promises of
00:23:42.53\00:23:45.33
God but ignores or defines
the conditions upon which
00:23:45.33\00:23:50.53
they based.
00:23:50.53\00:23:52.93
We are in the midst of
a universal battle between
00:23:52.93\00:23:56.06
Christ and Satan.
00:23:56.06\00:23:57.83
And you can be sure that
the devil is using every device
00:23:57.83\00:24:03.23
and every scheme he can
toward each of us, especially
00:24:03.23\00:24:07.90
if we profess faith in God.
00:24:07.90\00:24:10.23
Presumption is a sin of
the believer, not the atheist.
00:24:10.23\00:24:13.60
The atheist doesn't presume
on God because he doesn't
00:24:13.60\00:24:17.06
believe in God--though I
heard of someone who said,
00:24:17.06\00:24:20.13
Thank God, I'm still an atheist.
00:24:20.13\00:24:22.76
And there's good news.
00:24:22.76\00:24:24.06
Christ s death on the
cross covers even the sin of
00:24:24.06\00:24:26.63
presumption.
00:24:26.63\00:24:28.23
If you have presumed upon
God, if you have sought for
00:24:28.23\00:24:31.73
the promises without
following the conditions,
00:24:31.73\00:24:36.23
then flee to Jesus
and flee to the cross.
00:24:36.23\00:24:38.36
You can repent of your sins,
whatever they are, even that
00:24:38.36\00:24:40.46
of presumption, and you can
receive Christ's forgiveness.
00:24:40.46\00:24:44.43
And then, in faith and in
obedience, you can press on,
00:24:44.43\00:24:49.26
claiming all the
promises offered us in His Word.
00:24:49.26\00:24:52.23
And that's not presumption.
00:24:52.23\00:24:54.33
That s faith.
00:24:54.33\00:24:56.70
Let s pray together.
00:24:56.70\00:24:58.56
Father in heaven, I
pray that where we have been
00:24:58.56\00:25:02.40
presumptuous you would
forgive us and lead us to be
00:25:02.40\00:25:06.43
people of faith.
00:25:06.43\00:25:08.53
I pray that we would never
lean on the Bible and use it
00:25:08.53\00:25:12.73
to excuse things we
should not be doing.
00:25:12.73\00:25:15.93
I pray the Bible wouldn t be
a cloak that somehow conceals
00:25:15.93\00:25:20.30
our sins but that your
Word would be powerful enough to
00:25:20.30\00:25:25.76
create in us clean hearts.
00:25:25.76\00:25:26.73
Help us to come clean
and have faith truth faith in
00:25:26.73\00:25:28.96
your word and not to
stoop to presumption.
00:25:28.96\00:25:34.93
We thank you that you can
be trusted, we thank you that
00:25:34.93\00:25:36.66
your word is perfect, we
thank you that your ways are
00:25:36.66\00:25:37.73
right.
00:25:37.73\00:25:38.10
Lead us in them please,
I pray in Jesus'name, amen.
00:25:38.10\00:25:46.06
Today, I want to offer you
this special, free book, on
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the subject of God's promises,
including some of the very
00:26:08.56\00:26:11.46
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00:26:11.46\00:26:15.80
He is there for
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00:26:15.80\00:26:17.86
You will find it
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Promises, from our website,
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It Is Written.com.
00:27:10.50\00:27:12.36
It Is Written is a
faith-based ministry made
00:27:12.36\00:27:14.23
possible by viewers like you.
00:27:14.23\00:27:15.86
I want to say Thank you to
you for your support of It Is
00:27:15.86\00:27:18.23
Written.
00:27:18.23\00:27:19.50
To support the worldwide
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00:27:22.73\00:27:25.73
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00:27:27.86\00:27:30.86
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00:27:30.86\00:27:32.40
Thank you for
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00:27:32.40\00:27:34.43
Our toll-free number is 1
800 253 3000 and our web address
00:27:34.43\00:27:40.13
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00:27:40.13\00:27:43.00
Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:43.00\00:27:44.60
Look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:44.60\00:27:46.50
Until then be sure to
remember It Is Written:
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man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that
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proceeds from the mouth of God.
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