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>>John Bradshaw: This is
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,
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known the world over
for the battle of Gettysburg
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and President Abraham
Lincoln's Gettysburg address.
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In 1863, it was a town with
a population of 2,400 people.
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And in 1863 the Civil
War was two years old.
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The American Civil War
went from 1861 to 1865.
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The Confederacy was made
up of 11 different states:
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Texas, Louisiana,
Arkansas, Mississippi,
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Alabama, Georgia,
Florida, the Carolinas,
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Virginia, and Tennessee.
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While 25 states,
depending on how you count,
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made up the Union.
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There were more than
three million soldiers
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involved in the Civil War:
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two and a half million
on the side of the Union,
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one-point-two million on
the side of the Confederacy.
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It was a massive, massive war.
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And what took place
right here in Gettysburg
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was the turning point for
the entire American Civil War.
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Academics and
historians have been discussing
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the battle of
Gettysburg and the Civil War
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since both of them were ended.
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But what took
place here at Gettysburg
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goes way beyond
academics and history.
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The truth is, there are some
very important spiritual lessons
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that can be learned here,
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lessons that help us understand
the great spiritual battle
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that all of us are involved in.
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This patch of earth right
here is known as Cemetery Ridge.
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Cemetery Ridge was the site of
a very, very significant battle.
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It was known as
Pickett's Charge.
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And Gettysburg was
the high-water mark
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for the Confederacy.
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This was the
furthest into Union territory
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that the Confederacy ever got.
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If you look at a map, we're well
north here of Washington, D.C.
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In fact, the battle of
Gettysburg was the only battle
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that took place north
of the Mason-Dixon Line.
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Pickett's Charge
occurred on the last day
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of the battle of Gettysburg.
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It was July 3, 1863.
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¤[Piccolo music]¤
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Major General George Pickett
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was one of three Confederate
generals who led the assault.
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General Robert E. Lee
ordered the attack against
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Major General
George G. Mead's Union
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positions along this ridge.
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General Lee was determined
to take down the Union army,
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especially after
attacks on both of their flanks
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had failed in the previous days.
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But the Union
soldiers were ready.
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Thousands of Union soldiers
aimed 122 cannon or cannons
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into that field right there.
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The Confederacy matched them
with 152 cannon of their own.
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And at one
o'clock in the afternoon,
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the fighting began.
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Those 274 cannon
began firing simultaneously.
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It is said that the
resulting cacophony was so loud
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that the noise could be heard 84
miles away in Washington, D.C.
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Someone once said that this was
most likely the loudest manmade
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noise ever made, in the history
of the world up to that time.
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And Pickett's
Charge, was only beginning.
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[Cannons firing, guns firing]
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Once the Confederates
who were out there thought
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that the Union lines back
here had been softened up,
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twelve and a half
thousand of their soldiers
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began to march across that
open space from there to here.
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It's a stretch of one mile;
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yet they were only able to make
it three-quarters of the way
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before they had to head back.
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They walked
across this open space,
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right into a
blizzard of heavy cannon fire.
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In fact, in
three-quarters of an hour,
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the Confederacy lost more
than 50 percent of their men.
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Some of the
Confederates were able to breach
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this low stone wall that
shielded the Union defenders,
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but they weren't able
to maintain their position,
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and they were forced to retreat.
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Years later when he was asked
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why his charge at
Gettysburg failed,
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General Pickett
replied by saying,
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“I've always thought the Yankees
had something to do with it.”
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There are many debates
as to why this battle here
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actually even took place at all.
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Some say the objective was
to gain control of the copse
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of trees over there behind me.
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Others say the object
was to get to Zeigler's Grove
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over there on Cemetery Hill.
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Perhaps we'll never know.
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Other questions
are asked as well,
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questions such as,
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why did the Civil War
itself even take place?
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Was it a question
of states' rights?
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Was it about federal tariffs?
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Was it labor laws and slavery?
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Maybe we'll never know.
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Even the name “Civil War”
has been questioned and disputed
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down through the years.
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Well, I've got a
question for you:
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whose side was God
on in the Civil War?
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The Bible does
help us understand that,
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and the answer may surprise you.
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And what about the original
civil war that took place long
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before Gettysburg
was even thought of?
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We'll talk about
that in just a moment.
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>>Announcer: Planning
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For information on
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please call 800-992-2219.
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Call today or visit
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Call 800-992-2219.
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¤[Sitar music]¤
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>>John: Eyes for India is
giving sight to the blind,
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and you can be a
part of this amazing work
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God is doing.
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Fifteen million
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more than any other
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and many of the blind
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if only they could have
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It Is Written is
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Would you support Eyes for India
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You'll be giving
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Here's all you need to do.
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P O Box 6,
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401.
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You'll also find additional
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or write to:
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[Gunshots]
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[Marching drums]
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>>John: The American Civil War,
the North against the South.
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I'm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,
the site of the battle
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of Gettysburg during
the American Civil War,
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and I'm here
right now in a place
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that is known as Devil's Den.
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It saw a lot of
action on July 2, 1863.
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It changed hands
a couple of times,
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but by the end of the day it
was a Confederate stronghold.
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A lot of people died here.
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Just over there is
an area that's known
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as the Slaughter Pen.
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I'll leave it to you to
figure out why it was called
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the Slaughter Pen.
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More than 700,000 soldiers died
during the American Civil War.
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America had more
casualties, lost more soldiers
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in that one great
conflict, than in all wars from
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the Revolutionary War to
the Vietnam War combined.
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The reason is quite obvious.
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That's because during
the American Civil War,
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everybody who
died, was an American.
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And, you know,
with so much bloodshed,
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people have asked
from time to time,
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whose side was God on?
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Now, don't worry.
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I'm not going to get into
any sticky political territory.
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Instead, I'm going
to get into the Bible.
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This reminded me of a
Bible story you read about
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in the book of Joshua.
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God's people had been, uh,
brought out of the wilderness
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and into the
Promised Land, finally,
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after 40 years of wandering.
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But, now that they
come to the Promised Land,
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they find that the Promised
Land is filled with the enemy.
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So God commands them
to consecrate themselves,
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and He leads them down to the
walls of the city of Jericho.
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And as they're
marching down to the walls
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surrounding the city of Jericho,
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something really
strange takes place.
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Joshua 5:13:
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“And it came to pass,
when Joshua was by Jericho,
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that he lifted
his eyes and looked,
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and behold, a man
stood opposite him
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with a sword drawn in his hand.
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And Joshua went to
him and said to him,
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“Are you for us or
for our adversaries?”
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Now, think about this.
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Joshua was very close to God,
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and just a couple of
chapters before this took place,
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God had said this to Joshua:
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“This day I will begin to exalt
you in the sight of all Israel,
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that they may know
that, as I was with Moses,
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so I'm with you.”
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Now, Joshua likely knew
that the being in the road
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was a divine being.
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Joshua was well
acquainted with God.
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You know that Joshua
was with the Israelites
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when they left Egypt on
their way to the Promised Land.
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Joshua had wandered through
the wilderness for four decades
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with the children of Israel,
and he had seen God work.
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Think about what he saw.
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He was a witness when God
sent the ten plagues in Egypt.
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He saw what God did there.
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He was there when God
split the Red Sea wide open
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so the Israelites
could evacuate Egypt.
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Joshua saw what God had done.
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While on the
wilderness wanderings,
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Joshua ate the
manna that God had sent,
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the manna that
carpeted the ground.
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Joshua gathered that up with his
bare hands and ate it himself,
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knowing that this
blessing had come from God.
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He saw the
pillar of fire by night
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and the pillar of cloud by day.
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He was acquainted with God.
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He says to this being,
“Whose side are you on?
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Are you with us, or
are you with our enemy?”
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And he got a very
surprising answer.
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I mean, I would
expect that a divine being,
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a heavenly being,
would say plainly and simply,
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“I'm on your side.
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I'm with the
children of Israel.”
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You certainly
wouldn't expect him to say,
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“I'm with your enemies.”
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What did God say?
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Did God say,
“Joshua, I'm with you.
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You're my man, and I'm
with you and my people?”
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God didn't say that at all.
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Here's what God said.
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God said, “Neither.
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I'm with neither of you.”
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Here's what the
Bible says, Joshua 5:14:
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“'Neither,' he replied,
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‘but as commander of the army
of the Lord I have now come.”
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Then Joshua fell facedown
to the ground in reverence,
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and asked him,
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‘What message does my
Lord have for his servant?'”
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Now, this is Joshua
we're talking about,
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the one who was chosen
by God to lead God's people.
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If God was going to be
on anybody's side at all,
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you'd think that
he'd be on Joshua's side.
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So what was going on here?
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Had Joshua done something wrong?
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Had God's people
slid into apostasy again?
00:13:30.81\00:13:34.28
Well, no, as a matter of fact,
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they had recently
reconsecrated themselves to God,
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and they built an altar.
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You've got to look
at the big picture.
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There's a big picture to view
when considering this passage.
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A couple of things to consider,
and one of them is this:
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God is on His own side.
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God is committed to His mission
of saving all men and women,
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redeeming the world and bringing
them to Himself through Jesus.
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That's what God is all about.
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John 3 and verse 16 says,
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“For God so loved the world,
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that He gave His
only begotten Son,
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that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish,
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but have everlasting life.”
00:14:10.85\00:14:12.61
And it says in
Ephesians 1, verses 11 and 12,
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“In Him also we have
obtained an inheritance,
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being predestined
according to the purpose of Him
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who works all things according
to the counsel of His will,
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that we who
first trusted in Christ
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should be to the
praise of His glory.”
00:14:28.66\00:14:31.33
Abraham Lincoln recognized this,
00:14:31.37\00:14:32.87
and that's why he included
these words in his writings:
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In “Meditations on the
Divine Will,” Lincoln wrote,
00:14:36.91\00:14:40.31
“The will of God prevails,
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In great contests each party
claims to act in accordance
00:14:42.88\00:14:46.65
with the will of God.
00:14:46.68\00:14:47.68
Both may be, and
one must be wrong.
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God cannot be for, and against
the same thing at the same time.
00:14:52.29\00:14:56.09
In the present civil war it
is quite possible that God's
00:14:56.12\00:15:00.10
purpose is somewhat
different from the purpose
00:15:00.13\00:15:02.30
of either party, and yet
the human instrumentalities,
00:15:02.33\00:15:05.93
working just as they do,
00:15:05.97\00:15:07.94
are of the best
adaptation to effect this.”
00:15:07.97\00:15:10.61
He went on to say in the
second inaugural address,
00:15:10.64\00:15:13.07
“Both read the same
Bible and pray to the same God,
00:15:13.11\00:15:16.75
and each invokes His
aid against the other.
00:15:16.78\00:15:18.95
It may seem strange that any men
should dare to ask a just God's
00:15:18.98\00:15:24.02
assistance in wringing
their bread from the sweat
00:15:24.05\00:15:26.79
of other men's
faces, but let us judge not,
00:15:26.82\00:15:29.89
that we be not judged.
00:15:29.92\00:15:31.19
The prayers of both
could not be answered.
00:15:31.23\00:15:34.46
That of neither has
been answered fully.
00:15:34.46\00:15:36.67
The Almighty has
His own purposes.
00:15:36.70\00:15:39.93
‘Woe unto the world
because of offenses,
00:15:39.97\00:15:42.37
for it must needs
be that offenses come,
00:15:42.40\00:15:45.07
but woe to that man by
whom the offense cometh.'”
00:15:45.11\00:15:48.48
That isn't to suggest
that God was indifferent
00:15:48.51\00:15:50.51
to the battle of Gettysburg.
00:15:50.55\00:15:51.78
Far from it.
00:15:51.81\00:15:53.05
God's always on the side of
truth and justice and liberty.
00:15:53.08\00:15:57.09
God's on the side of
lifting men and women up,
00:15:57.12\00:15:59.05
of ennobling people,
00:15:59.09\00:16:00.92
and giving them the
opportunity to live whole lives.
00:16:00.96\00:16:03.93
But whereas we
see the small-picture,
00:16:03.96\00:16:07.30
Gettysburg, Bull Run, Manassas-
God sees the big picture.
00:16:07.30\00:16:12.43
And it's when we
look beyond Gettysburg
00:16:12.47\00:16:15.97
and we see the big picture,
00:16:16.00\00:16:18.04
that we see the
war behind all wars,
00:16:18.07\00:16:20.58
we see the original civil war.
00:16:20.61\00:16:23.35
We see the universal battle
that all of us are involved in.
00:16:23.38\00:16:28.05
I'll be back with
more in just a moment.
00:16:28.08\00:16:30.99
¤[Music]¤
00:16:32.69\00:16:34.29
In Matthew 4:4,
the word of God says,
00:16:34.32\00:16:36.83
“It is written,
00:16:36.86\00:16:37.89
‘Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:16:37.93\00:16:39.76
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'”
00:16:39.79\00:16:43.87
“Every Word”
00:16:43.90\00:16:44.83
is a one-minute,
Bible-based daily devotional
00:16:44.87\00:16:47.10
presented by
Pastor John Bradshaw,
00:16:47.14\00:16:48.84
and designed especially
for busy people like you.
00:16:48.87\00:16:51.97
Look for Every Word
on selected networks,
00:16:52.01\00:16:54.71
or watch it online
every day on our website,
00:16:54.74\00:16:57.18
itiswritten.com.
00:16:57.21\00:16:59.58
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:16:59.61\00:17:01.82
Watch “Every Word.”
00:17:01.85\00:17:03.25
You'll be glad you did.
00:17:03.28\00:17:07.59
¤[Theme music]¤
00:17:08.22\00:17:13.50
>>John: Thanks for joining me.
00:17:13.53\00:17:14.63
A man was surfing
when he saw a fish,
00:17:14.66\00:17:16.67
a snapper, struggling on
the surface of the water.
00:17:16.70\00:17:20.07
Seems the fish might have
been injured by a small shark.
00:17:20.10\00:17:23.51
He wondered if he could
possibly catch the fish,
00:17:23.54\00:17:25.24
but he didn't have
any fishing equipment.
00:17:25.27\00:17:26.74
All he had was his bare hands,
00:17:26.78\00:17:28.14
and how do you catch a
fish, with just your bare hands?
00:17:28.18\00:17:31.11
Well, just then the fish
began swimming in his direction
00:17:31.15\00:17:34.58
and swam right across
the front of his surfboard.
00:17:34.62\00:17:37.79
Now, the man wasn't going to
miss an opportunity like this.
00:17:37.82\00:17:40.02
He grabbed the fish,
00:17:40.06\00:17:41.39
tied it to his
surfboard with his ankle rope,
00:17:41.42\00:17:43.46
and paddled to shore with
his prize 22-pound snapper,
00:17:43.49\00:17:47.73
caught with his
bare hands, in tow.
00:17:47.76\00:17:50.20
He said, “That's the only time
00:17:50.23\00:17:51.37
that's going to
happen in my life,”
00:17:51.40\00:17:52.87
which is, I'm sure
100 percent correct.
00:17:52.90\00:17:56.81
There are a number of remarkable
stories in the Bible about fish.
00:17:56.84\00:18:00.41
One day after Peter had
been discussing the temple tax
00:18:00.44\00:18:02.84
with some religious leaders,
Jesus asked him to catch a fish.
00:18:02.88\00:18:06.48
He said, “...go to
the sea, cast in a hook,
00:18:06.51\00:18:08.98
and take the fish
that comes up first.
00:18:09.02\00:18:11.19
And when you
have opened its mouth,
00:18:11.22\00:18:12.62
you will find a piece of money;
00:18:12.65\00:18:14.12
take that and give it
to them for Me and you.”
00:18:14.16\00:18:17.09
That's Matthew 17:27.
00:18:17.13\00:18:19.36
Can you imagine how Peter
felt when he caught that fish,
00:18:19.39\00:18:21.73
looked in its
mouth, and found a coin,
00:18:21.76\00:18:24.60
just as Jesus had said.
00:18:24.63\00:18:26.20
Peter was a fisherman, but he'd
never experienced that before.
00:18:26.23\00:18:30.01
It was a miracle, and
it demonstrated to Peter,
00:18:30.04\00:18:32.57
and to you and me,
00:18:32.61\00:18:34.34
just who Jesus is and
just what He's able to do.
00:18:34.38\00:18:37.28
Jesus still works miracles.
00:18:37.31\00:18:38.98
Sometimes they're spectacular,
out of the ordinary;
00:18:39.01\00:18:41.68
other times,
they're everyday miracles.
00:18:41.72\00:18:43.89
Our daily bread, the
next beat of your heart,
00:18:43.92\00:18:45.89
a sunrise or a sunset.
00:18:45.92\00:18:48.26
Don't miss the miracles, the big
miracles or the small miracles,
00:18:48.29\00:18:53.26
that God works for you.
00:18:53.29\00:18:55.13
Look around.
00:18:55.16\00:18:56.50
You'll see they
happen every day.
00:18:56.53\00:18:59.53
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:18:59.57\00:19:01.54
Let's live today by every word.
00:19:01.57\00:19:03.57
¤[Music]¤
00:19:03.61\00:19:07.91
[Sound of crickets]
00:19:09.68\00:19:12.71
>>John: This is
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
00:19:12.75\00:19:15.42
It's an almost sacred place:
00:19:15.45\00:19:17.65
the site of the
battle of Gettysburg.
00:19:17.69\00:19:20.62
During the battle of Gettysburg,
00:19:20.66\00:19:21.96
both the Union side
and the Confederate side
00:19:21.99\00:19:23.96
suffered about the
same amount of casualties:
00:19:23.99\00:19:25.69
about 23,000 per side.
00:19:25.73\00:19:29.00
Now, there were 3,000
deaths suffered by the Union,
00:19:29.03\00:19:31.63
a little more than 3,000, and
a little less than 5,000 deaths
00:19:31.67\00:19:35.54
suffered by the Confederacy.
00:19:35.57\00:19:38.51
The Civil War often
even split families,
00:19:38.54\00:19:41.44
split communities.
00:19:41.48\00:19:43.08
It wasn't uncommon to
have a brother on one side,
00:19:43.11\00:19:46.11
be it Union or Confederate,
00:19:46.15\00:19:47.38
fighting against his own literal
blood brother on the other side.
00:19:47.42\00:19:52.65
Before he became the president,
00:19:52.69\00:19:54.42
Abraham Lincoln
described the United States
00:19:54.46\00:19:56.62
as a house divided,
00:19:56.66\00:19:58.13
using words that came
straight from the lips of Jesus,
00:19:58.16\00:20:01.76
words Lincoln
borrowed from the gospels.
00:20:01.80\00:20:04.80
Abraham Lincoln
understood this concept
00:20:04.83\00:20:07.24
from firsthand experience.
00:20:07.27\00:20:09.77
His own brother-in-law
was a Confederate general
00:20:09.80\00:20:13.58
who lost his life
shortly after Gettysburg
00:20:13.61\00:20:16.18
at the battle of Chickamauga,
00:20:16.21\00:20:17.88
just outside of
Chattanooga, Tennessee.
00:20:17.91\00:20:21.82
What about a conflict that
not only divided communities,
00:20:21.85\00:20:26.25
or divided the nation,
00:20:26.29\00:20:27.39
but what about a conflict
that would divide Heaven?
00:20:27.42\00:20:30.39
Seems hard to
imagine, doesn't it?
00:20:30.43\00:20:33.29
But doesn't it also
seem hard to imagine,
00:20:33.33\00:20:35.23
thinking back, Americans
taking up arms against Americans
00:20:35.26\00:20:40.44
and fighting to the death?
00:20:40.47\00:20:41.57
It just seems so unlikely.
00:20:41.60\00:20:44.34
Even the leaders, many of
them on the Confederate side,
00:20:44.37\00:20:46.51
the Union side, some
of them were friends.
00:20:46.54\00:20:48.44
Many of them
were educated together
00:20:48.48\00:20:50.85
at the same military schools.
00:20:50.88\00:20:53.21
Seems hard to fathom now.
00:20:53.25\00:20:54.85
But, just as hard to fathom
as that is, is this concept
00:20:54.88\00:20:59.39
of a war that divides Heaven,
a conflict that divides Heaven.
00:20:59.42\00:21:02.92
And here's what the
Bible says about that
00:21:02.96\00:21:05.73
in Revelation chapter
12, from verse 7; it says,
00:21:05.76\00:21:08.90
“And there was war in heaven:
00:21:08.93\00:21:10.80
Michael and his angels
fought against the dragon;
00:21:10.83\00:21:13.30
and the dragon
fought and his angels,
00:21:13.34\00:21:15.27
and prevailed not;
00:21:15.30\00:21:16.71
neither was their place
found any more in heaven.”
00:21:16.74\00:21:20.41
There was a conflict so dramatic
that a third of the angels
00:21:20.44\00:21:25.05
were evicted from heaven.
00:21:25.08\00:21:27.38
And why in the world
would that take place?
00:21:27.42\00:21:30.22
Well, to find out that,
00:21:30.25\00:21:31.72
we look in the book
of Isaiah and chapter 14:
00:21:31.75\00:21:36.36
“How are you fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
00:21:36.39\00:21:40.16
How were you cut
down to the ground,
00:21:40.20\00:21:42.16
you who weakened the nations!
00:21:42.20\00:21:43.97
For you have said in your heart:
00:21:44.00\00:21:45.93
‘I will ascend into heaven,
00:21:45.97\00:21:48.84
I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God;
00:21:48.87\00:21:52.67
I will also sit on the
mount of the congregation
00:21:52.71\00:21:55.18
on the farthest
sides of the north;
00:21:55.21\00:21:57.88
I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds,
00:21:57.91\00:22:00.32
I will be like the Most High.'”
00:22:00.35\00:22:06.32
For reasons that I don't think
we can adequately comprehend,
00:22:06.35\00:22:10.16
Satan decided that he
wanted to sit in God's place.
00:22:10.19\00:22:13.16
Actually, Lucifer,
before he was Satan,
00:22:13.19\00:22:15.73
had these ideas that he
would sit in God's place.
00:22:15.76\00:22:18.73
He wanted to receive the
honor that only God was due.
00:22:18.77\00:22:21.57
He wanted to receive the
homage that God was getting.
00:22:21.60\00:22:25.57
Simply put, Satan
wanted to receive worship.
00:22:25.61\00:22:30.25
He wasn't able to get
that worship in Heaven,
00:22:30.28\00:22:32.61
and so he was cast
down here to the Earth.
00:22:32.65\00:22:34.55
But before he was
cast down to the Earth,
00:22:34.58\00:22:36.89
Satan went on a
campaign in Heaven,
00:22:36.92\00:22:39.19
like a, like a
good politician, to win,
00:22:39.22\00:22:42.49
to win the angels of
Heaven, as many as he could,
00:22:42.52\00:22:44.79
over to his side.
00:22:44.83\00:22:46.96
Now, there are times
that it really makes me wonder
00:22:47.00\00:22:50.00
why even a single
angel would have entertained
00:22:50.03\00:22:54.27
Lucifer's chicanery in Heaven.
00:22:54.30\00:22:57.17
Lucifer had to be campaigning
and complaining about God.
00:22:57.21\00:23:00.54
Why would even one
perfect angel in Heaven listen?
00:23:00.58\00:23:03.68
It just doesn't make sense.
00:23:03.71\00:23:05.58
But perhaps, perhaps there was
something mysterious about sin,
00:23:05.61\00:23:10.32
something that
wasn't very well understood,
00:23:10.35\00:23:12.92
that caused the angels to
stop and consider and listen,
00:23:12.95\00:23:15.82
and given Lucifer a
little more of their time
00:23:15.86\00:23:17.79
than they otherwise would have.
00:23:17.83\00:23:19.76
And perhaps, think about this,
00:23:19.79\00:23:21.36
perhaps Lucifer was
just a good campaigner.
00:23:21.40\00:23:24.13
Perhaps he knew how to speak
and phrase and frame things
00:23:24.17\00:23:27.40
in such a way that
certain of the angels said,
00:23:27.44\00:23:30.07
well, maybe he's got a point.
00:23:30.11\00:23:32.87
I mean, let's think about
this: we think of Nazi Germany.
00:23:32.91\00:23:36.18
There were
multiplied thousands of Germans
00:23:36.21\00:23:38.81
who listened to Adolf
Hitler with rapt attention.
00:23:38.85\00:23:42.12
They were swept along in
the hysteria that he generated.
00:23:42.15\00:23:46.05
We say, how in the world
could that have happened?
00:23:46.09\00:23:47.76
But many people living
today look back and say,
00:23:47.79\00:23:50.09
“I understand only too well
how that could have happened.”
00:23:50.13\00:23:52.73
Perhaps it was a little
bit like that with Satan.
00:23:52.76\00:23:55.90
Thousands died
here at Gettysburg.
00:23:55.93\00:23:57.60
The many cemeteries
mark the final resting place
00:23:57.63\00:24:02.24
of many of them.
00:24:02.27\00:24:04.04
It was in November of
1863 that President Lincoln
00:24:04.07\00:24:06.88
came here to
Gettysburg, and he delivered,
00:24:06.91\00:24:08.48
at the dedication of the
Soldiers National Cemetery,
00:24:08.51\00:24:13.01
the Gettysburg address.
00:24:13.05\00:24:15.12
Now, what's interesting is that
many people don't realize that
00:24:15.15\00:24:17.82
Abraham Lincoln wasn't even
the featured speaker that day.
00:24:17.85\00:24:21.66
The one who gave
the keynote speech
00:24:21.69\00:24:23.32
was a man named Edward Everett.
00:24:23.36\00:24:25.83
Everett had been the Secretary
of State for the United States.
00:24:25.86\00:24:28.43
He'd been the Governor of
the state of Massachusetts.
00:24:28.46\00:24:31.13
Everett had been the
president of Harvard University,
00:24:31.17\00:24:33.13
and he was a renowned orator.
00:24:33.17\00:24:35.77
When he spoke that day,
00:24:35.80\00:24:36.67
his speech lasted
more than two hours.
00:24:36.71\00:24:40.78
But today, there's
virtually nobody who remembers
00:24:40.81\00:24:44.21
anything that
Edward Everett said.
00:24:44.25\00:24:47.48
By contrast, Abraham
Lincoln came and spoke.
00:24:47.52\00:24:50.42
The Gettysburg Address
lasted just a little more
00:24:50.45\00:24:52.85
than two minutes, and
it's made up of ten sentences.
00:24:52.89\00:24:57.83
And it was in the Gettysburg
Address that Abraham Lincoln
00:24:57.86\00:25:02.73
said these words:
00:25:02.76\00:25:05.40
“It is rather for
us to be here dedicated
00:25:05.43\00:25:07.90
to the great task
remaining before us-
00:25:07.94\00:25:11.51
that from these honored dead we
take increased devotion to that
00:25:11.54\00:25:16.44
cause for which they gave the
last full measure of devotion.”
00:25:16.48\00:25:22.75
¤[Music]¤
00:25:22.78\00:25:25.29
In looking forward to
the last great conflict
00:25:25.32\00:25:27.56
soon to come to this world,
00:25:27.59\00:25:28.79
perhaps we can look
back and think of those
00:25:28.82\00:25:31.59
who gave everything to
advance the cause of Christ,
00:25:31.63\00:25:34.30
the cause of truth,
the cause of the Bible.
00:25:34.30\00:25:37.67
Perhaps we can think back
to that original rebellion,
00:25:37.70\00:25:40.90
that original civil war, the
one that took place in Heaven.
00:25:40.94\00:25:44.21
And we can remember,
00:25:44.24\00:25:45.74
that when the
universe was split in two,
00:25:45.77\00:25:48.54
Jesus did everything He
could to bring it back together.
00:25:48.58\00:25:52.85
When Jesus had
rebels on His hands,
00:25:52.88\00:25:55.78
Jesus willing came to
the battlefield called Earth
00:25:55.82\00:25:58.12
and gave His life,
00:25:58.15\00:26:00.79
so that the
rebels might have life.
00:26:00.82\00:26:02.26
Jesus died for you, friend,
00:26:02.29\00:26:04.73
so that in place of rebellion,
00:26:04.76\00:26:06.70
you could be in
harmony with Him.
00:26:06.73\00:26:08.26
In place of guilt,
00:26:08.30\00:26:09.86
you could
experience forgiveness.
00:26:09.90\00:26:11.67
In place of shame,
you could have no shame.
00:26:11.70\00:26:14.74
In place of tyranny,
there would be liberty.
00:26:14.77\00:26:17.24
In place of sin, Jesus
would give you salvation.
00:26:17.27\00:26:22.28
Would you accept
that from Jesus today?
00:26:22.31\00:26:26.21
Jesus, who crossed that,
00:26:26.25\00:26:28.58
who crossed that vast
field between Heaven and Earth,
00:26:28.62\00:26:31.92
and came down here,
00:26:31.95\00:26:34.19
and gave His life,
dying on the battlefield,
00:26:34.22\00:26:38.13
so that we need not
remain on the battlefield,
00:26:38.16\00:26:41.10
but that we can
enjoy everlasting life
00:26:41.13\00:26:43.06
in the presence of Jesus.
00:26:43.10\00:26:45.60
Would you like that, friend?
00:26:45.63\00:26:47.04
Would you choose that and
accept that today from Him?
00:26:47.07\00:26:50.34
Let me pray for you.
00:26:50.37\00:26:51.14
Our Father in Heaven,
00:26:51.17\00:26:52.91
we thank You today for Jesus,
00:26:52.94\00:26:54.04
the Freedom Giver.
00:26:54.08\00:26:55.18
We thank You for Jesus,
00:26:55.21\00:26:57.11
the Liberator.
00:26:57.15\00:26:57.88
We thank You for Jesus,
00:26:57.91\00:26:59.85
who when He had a
group of rebels on His hands,
00:26:59.88\00:27:02.38
came to this Earth to give
life in the place of death.
00:27:02.42\00:27:07.22
Father, we accept that today.
00:27:07.26\00:27:09.26
I pray for everyone hearing the
sound of my voice and saying,
00:27:09.29\00:27:12.83
“Yes, I will
choose freedom in Jesus.
00:27:12.86\00:27:15.36
I will choose life in Jesus.”
00:27:15.40\00:27:17.60
Thank You for giving Him
life in the place of death,
00:27:17.63\00:27:20.97
and freedom in
the place of slavery,
00:27:21.00\00:27:23.41
and joy in the place of sorrow,
00:27:23.44\00:27:26.01
and everlasting life that will
measure with the life of God.
00:27:26.04\00:27:30.41
We thank You for that today,
00:27:30.45\00:27:32.35
and we pray in Jesus' name,
00:27:32.38\00:27:35.28
Amen.
00:27:35.32\00:27:38.62
¤[Music]¤
00:27:38.65\00:27:48.66
¤[Music]¤
00:27:48.66\00:27:59.24
>>John: Today I'd like to
ask you to help It Is Written
00:28:03.55\00:28:05.85
open the eyes of the blind.
00:28:05.88\00:28:08.25
India has more blind people
than any country on earth,
00:28:08.28\00:28:11.39
but simple cataract surgery
00:28:11.42\00:28:13.09
can make the difference
between seeing and not seeing.
00:28:13.12\00:28:16.22
Eyes for India is a
project that's providing
00:28:16.26\00:28:18.49
cataract surgery for people
00:28:18.53\00:28:20.36
in desperate need
of the gift of sight.
00:28:20.40\00:28:22.63
Please help today.
00:28:22.66\00:28:23.50
Call 800-253-3000
00:28:23.53\00:28:27.40
or visit itiswritten.com.
00:28:27.44\00:28:31.07
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:28:31.97\00:28:33.84
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:28:33.88\00:28:37.28
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:28:37.31\00:28:40.55
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:28:40.58\00:28:44.79
You can send your
tax deductible gift
00:28:44.82\00:28:46.25
to the address on your screen,
00:28:46.29\00:28:47.76
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:28:47.79\00:28:51.56
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:28:51.59\00:28:54.36
Our number
again is 800-253-3000.
00:28:54.40\00:28:58.60
Or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:28:58.63\00:29:01.64
Thanks for joining me today.
00:29:02.84\00:29:03.91
Look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:29:03.94\00:29:05.91
Until then, remember:
00:29:05.94\00:29:07.51
“It is written:
00:29:07.54\00:29:08.51
‘Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:29:08.54\00:29:10.08
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'”
00:29:10.11\00:29:14.25
¤[Theme music]¤
00:29:14.28\00:29:29.26