It has stood the test of time.
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God's book, 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,
and this is It Is Written.
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Thanks for joining me today.
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This is Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania, the site of the
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Battle of Gettysburg,
the most famous battle of the
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American Civil War.
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Today, the old battlefields
of Gettysburg look a whole
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lot like they did a
century and a half ago.
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A lot of effort has
been taken to keeping the
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Gettysburg battlefields
in condition as original as
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possible.
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The American Civil War
lasted four years, from 1861 to
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1865.
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Thousands of people perished
during the American Civil
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War, 700,000 is the number
that is often quoted today
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and several thousand
individuals died here at
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Gettysburg.
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Today, we refer to the
war as the American Civil War.
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But down through time, it
has been called a number of
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different things.
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It was called the
war between the states.
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The South referred to it
as the war of succession.
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Immediately after the war,
the North called it the war
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of rebellion.
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There's a lot of controversy
over what actually brought
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about the start of the
American Civil War, but the
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facts are these.
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Eleven southern states
declared their succession
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from the United States and
began to call themselves the
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Confederated States of
America or, The Confederacy.
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The remaining 25 states
remained loyal to the United
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States Government, and
they became known as The Union.
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After this split,
really, fighting was simply
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inevitable.
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One fact most people will
agree on is that slavery was
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a central issue
in the Civil War.
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The controversy became
so intense, so hot, that it
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brought about the end of some
political parties, including
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the Wigs and the
No Nothing party.
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And it caused the Democratic
party to be split in two,
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between the North and the South.
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But the violence
wasn't contained only to the
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battlefield.
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In fact, on the floor of
the US Senate, a South Carolina
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Congressman by the name
of Preston Brooks, violently
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assaulted a Republican
politician by the name of
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Charles Sumner.
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He beat him so badly that
he beat him almost to death.
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The reason for this
violent assault is that Sumner
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insulted Southern slave
owners and one of Brooks' own
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relatives as referring to
them as pimps for slavery.
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At the start of the
Civil War, there were 9 million
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people living in
the American South.
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Four million of them
were slaves, almost 50% of the
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population.
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Slavery was a dark episode
in the history of the United
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States.
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Slavery has existed
for thousands of years.
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The Bible not only
mentions slavery but it provides
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guidelines as to how
slaves should be treated.
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And if a man smite his
servant, his slave, or his
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maid with a rod and he die
under his hand, he shall be
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surely punished and if he
smite out his manservant's
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tooth, or his maidservant's
tooth, he shall let him go
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free for his tooth's sake.
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That's Exodus 21: 26, 27.
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Now let's not be confused
by this and think that because
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the Bible says that that
God somehow approves of slavery.
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God certainly does not.
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In fact, it says
this in Acts 17:24-26.
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God that made the world
and all things therein seeing
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that he is Lord of heaven
and earth, dwelleth not in
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temples made with hands,
neither is worshipped with
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men's hands as though he
needed anything, seeing he
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giveth life to all, and
breath and all things, and
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hath made of one blood all
nations of men for to dwell
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on all the face of the earth
and hath determined the times
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before appointed and the
bounds of their habitation.
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In fact, it was Jesus who
said in Luke 6:27-31, love
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your enemies, do good to
them which hate you, bless them
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that curse you and pray
for them which despitefully use
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you and unto him that smiteth
thee on the one cheek, offer
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also the other.
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And him that taketh away thy
cloak forbid not to take your
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coat also.
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Give to every man that
asketh of thee, and of him that
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taketh away thy
goods, ask them not again.
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And as ye would that men
should do to you, do ye also
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to them likewise.
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Unfortunately, many people
during the Civil War didn't
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see it that way.
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What's tragic is that
religious slave holders
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professed Christians used
the slavery guidelines found in
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the book of Exodus to say
that God actually supported
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slavery.
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President Abraham Lincoln
saw this for what it really was.
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In a letter that he wrote
to Reverend Dr. Ide, dated May
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30, 1864, he said this:
"Those professedly holy men
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of the South met in semblance
of prayer and devotion and in
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the name of Him who said
'as you would all men should do
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unto you, do ye even so
unto them', appealed to the
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Christian world to aid
them in doing to a whole race of
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men as they would have
no man do unto themselves.
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To my thinking they contemned
and insulted God and his
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church, far more than
did Satan when he tempted the
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Saviour with the
Kingdoms of the Earth."
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We can thank God that
slavery has been abolished.
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Mauritania was the
last country in the world to
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abolish slavery
and did so in 1981.
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However, because sin is what
sin is, slavery still exists.
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They say that because of
human trafficking, there are
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more slaves in the world
now than at any other time in
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human history.
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I'm here in Gettysburg, in
a store, a shop, that houses
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many Civil War artifacts,
including implements that we
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used in slavery.
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These two items here that
you see are collars worn around
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the necks of slaves.
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They are genuine
and they were used.
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The protruding spikes are
there to discourage slaves
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from trying to escape.
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If they tried to escape,
the spikes would get caught in
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underbrush or growth or
branches or so on and would
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lead to the slaves being
recaptured which, of course,
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would not be pretty.
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The LORD looked down from
heaven upon the children of
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men, to see if there were any
that did understand, and seek
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God.
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They are all gone aside,
they are all together become
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filthy: there is none
that doeth good, no, not one.
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Psalms 14:2-3.
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KJV [Music] It's time for
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today's Bible question.
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A friend of mine says we
need to keep the 10 commandments
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in order to go to heaven.
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But my preacher says that
the law was nailed to the cross
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and because of Jesus, we no
longer need to keep the law.
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He said something about the
law being an old covenant and
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now since the cross,
all we need is grace.
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Now wouldn't
that be a funny thing!
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Jesus telling people that
it's okay to disobey him now.
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Can you imagine that?
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Jesus saying it's
okay to commit adultery?
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It's okay to steal.
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It's okay to kill because
we are under a new covenant.
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If grace is a ticket for
people to live spiritually
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irresponsible lives, than
grace is something we could
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do without.
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Let's be clear.
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Salvation is given
by grace through faith.
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It's free.
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It's a gift.
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We cannot earn it by our
obedience or anything else.
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The gift of salvation is
not conferred based upon our
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performance.
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But let's balance that.
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Look on the
other side of the coin.
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What about once a person
has come to Jesus and has
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received salvation.
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How should they live then?
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Jesus said this in John 14:15.
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If you love me,
keep my commandments.
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Saved people will obey God
which isn't to say they will
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never make mistakes,
but their life is one
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characterized by obedience
and growing in obedience.
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Love for God brings
obedience into a person's life.
00:09:08.06\00:09:12.00
Revelation 14:12 describes
the saved when it says: "Here
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are they that keep the
commandments of God and the
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faith of Jesus.
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It isn't that their
commandment keeping earned
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them salvation but because
Jesus had come into their
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lives, their lives became
lives of obedience, lives of
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honoring God.
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When you love someone, you
want to please that someone
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and it pleases God that
we obey him, that we keep his
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commandments.
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Look in the Bible.
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It does not teach us that
grace means we are free to
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run off and sin.
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It's because of grace that
we don't want to do that because
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we know it hurts God.
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If you have a question
that you would like answered, go
00:09:51.23\00:09:53.23
to our website:
itiswritten.com and click on
00:09:53.23\00:09:56.00
the "Questions" tab.
00:09:56.00\00:09:57.83
Submit your question and in
a future program, we might be
00:09:57.83\00:10:00.90
able to answer
your Bible question.
00:10:00.90\00:10:04.53
Eyes for India is giving
sight to the blind and you
00:10:06.76\00:10:10.56
can be a part of this
amazing work that God is doing.
00:10:10.56\00:10:13.90
15 million blind people live
in India, more than any other
00:10:13.90\00:10:17.30
country in the world.
00:10:17.30\00:10:18.76
And many of the blind in
India could see again, if
00:10:18.76\00:10:21.93
only they could have
simple cataract surgery.
00:10:21.93\00:10:25.03
It Is Written is
making that happen.
00:10:25.03\00:10:27.93
Would you
support Eyes for India?
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For just $75 you'll be giving
the gift of sight to someone
00:10:30.93\00:10:35.33
who desperately wants to see.
00:10:35.33\00:10:36.90
Here is all you need to do.
00:10:36.90\00:10:38.73
Call 1.800.253.3000 to donate
and support Eyes for India.
00:10:38.73\00:10:46.16
Or, you can write to It
Is Written, Box O, Thousand
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Oaks, California, 91359.
00:10:49.60\00:10:52.93
You'll also find
Eyes for India online at
00:10:52.93\00:10:55.83
itiswritten.com.
00:10:55.83\00:10:57.83
You can't really have the
discussion about slavery in
00:11:01.10\00:11:03.20
the United States of America
without mentioning the name
00:11:03.20\00:11:06.10
Frederick Douglas.
00:11:06.10\00:11:07.80
Frederick Douglas was
born a slave in Talbot County,
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Maryland in 1818.
00:11:10.60\00:11:13.20
Now because slave
mothers weren't allowed to raise
00:11:13.20\00:11:15.56
their own children, he
never did know the exact date of
00:11:15.56\00:11:18.13
his birthday.
00:11:18.13\00:11:19.83
When he was about 12 years
old, his owners' wife began
00:11:19.83\00:11:23.30
to teach him the alphabet,
despite the fact it was
00:11:23.30\00:11:26.26
illegal to teach
slaves how to read.
00:11:26.26\00:11:29.00
Frederick Douglas would
describe her as a kind woman.
00:11:29.00\00:11:31.93
She said that she treated him
the way one human being ought
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to treat another.
00:11:35.63\00:11:37.00
Now, when the slave master
found out what was going on,
00:11:37.00\00:11:39.56
he strongly disapproved.
00:11:39.56\00:11:41.76
He said this must not happen.
00:11:41.76\00:11:43.30
Frederick must not learn
how to read because should a
00:11:43.30\00:11:45.83
slave learn to read, why
then a slave would want to learn
00:11:45.83\00:11:48.70
to write.
00:11:48.70\00:11:49.83
And should a slave learn
how to right, then a slave would
00:11:49.83\00:11:53.33
be wanting his own freedom.
00:11:53.33\00:11:56.23
Later, Douglas described
these words as the first
00:11:56.23\00:11:59.83
decidedly antislavery
lecture that he would ever hear.
00:11:59.83\00:12:04.66
In spite of his owner's
discouragement, Frederick
00:12:04.66\00:12:07.03
Douglas did learn to read.
00:12:07.03\00:12:09.10
He learned from white
children living in his
00:12:09.10\00:12:11.26
neighborhood and by
looking at the written materials
00:12:11.26\00:12:14.00
owned by the men with
whom he worked and then Douglas
00:12:14.00\00:12:18.16
escaped.
00:12:18.16\00:12:19.16
He fled to New York and
he became an advocate for the
00:12:19.16\00:12:21.90
abolitionist movement and
once a free man, Frederick
00:12:21.90\00:12:26.00
Douglas had some very
interesting things to say
00:12:26.00\00:12:29.43
about slavery.
00:12:29.43\00:12:31.56
"From my earliest
recollection, I date the
00:12:31.56\00:12:35.03
entertainment of a deep
conviction that slavery would
00:12:35.03\00:12:38.23
not always be able to hold
me within its foul embrace.
00:12:38.23\00:12:42.73
And in the darkest hours
of my career in slavery, this
00:12:42.73\00:12:46.63
living word of faith and
spirit of hope departed not
00:12:46.63\00:12:49.86
from me but remained like
ministering angels to cheer
00:12:49.86\00:12:54.43
me through the gloom.
00:12:54.43\00:12:56.63
It was as though Frederick
Douglas, even though he had
00:12:56.63\00:12:58.86
been raised to believe
that he was nothing more than
00:12:58.86\00:13:01.23
cattle, always suspected
that slavery was wrong.
00:13:01.23\00:13:04.53
It was something it seems
in the back of his mind that
00:13:04.53\00:13:07.20
always told him
that that was the case.
00:13:07.20\00:13:09.43
And do you think that
Douglas' case was unique or
00:13:09.43\00:13:12.10
did the other
slaves feel the same way?
00:13:12.10\00:13:14.96
Of course they did.
00:13:14.96\00:13:16.16
They had the reminders around
them all of the time as to
00:13:16.16\00:13:18.33
what their true
condition really was.
00:13:18.33\00:13:20.50
They were owned
by somebody else.
00:13:20.50\00:13:23.06
They often had
irons weighing them down.
00:13:23.06\00:13:25.20
They often felt whips cutting
into their backs and they
00:13:25.20\00:13:28.03
heard the cruel
words of their masters.
00:13:28.03\00:13:30.46
They recognized that
they were slaves because those
00:13:30.46\00:13:33.23
reminders were
around them all of the time.
00:13:33.23\00:13:36.40
Their lives told them
what they really were.
00:13:36.40\00:13:40.43
But you might be surprised
to know that there are many
00:13:40.43\00:13:42.60
people today who don't
realize that they are in
00:13:42.60\00:13:45.16
bondage.
00:13:45.16\00:13:46.16
In fact, you
might be one of them.
00:13:46.16\00:13:50.00
Find out more in just a moment.
00:13:50.00\00:13:55.86
In Matthew 4:4, the Word of
God says, It is written, man
00:13:55.86\00:13:59.73
shall not live by bread
alone but by every word that
00:13:59.73\00:14:03.50
proceeds from the mouth of God.
00:14:03.50\00:14:05.56
Every word is a one minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:14:05.56\00:14:08.76
presented by pastor
John Bradshaw and designed
00:14:08.76\00:14:11.70
especially for
busy people like you.
00:14:11.70\00:14:15.00
Look for Every Word on
selected networks or watch it
00:14:15.00\00:14:17.76
on-line everyday on our
website, itiswritten.com.
00:14:17.76\00:14:21.46
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:14:21.46\00:14:24.00
Watch Every Word.
00:14:24.00\00:14:25.16
You'll be glad you did.
00:14:25.16\00:14:26.56
Here's a sample.
00:14:26.56\00:14:28.93
Back in 1988
Presidential Candidate George
00:14:36.90\00:14:39.76
H W Bush addressed a
large audience at his party's
00:14:39.76\00:14:42.83
National Convention and said,
"Read my lips, no new taxes."
00:14:42.83\00:14:49.40
That was a
promise, and he meant it.
00:14:49.40\00:14:52.30
But promises can be hard
to keep, and even politicians
00:14:52.30\00:14:55.16
find that on occasions
their promises can be harder to
00:14:55.16\00:14:57.83
keep than they
thought when they made them.
00:14:57.83\00:15:00.86
Later, President Bush wanted
to reduce the budget deficit
00:15:00.86\00:15:03.50
and so some taxes were raised
- and the one-term President
00:15:03.50\00:15:07.40
Bush wasn't reelected - the
broken promise, many way, was
00:15:07.40\00:15:10.93
a a key factor in his defeat.
00:15:10.93\00:15:13.23
Many people make promises
to God and find they can't keep
00:15:13.23\00:15:16.20
them.
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"I'll do better, I won't do
that again, I'll never commit
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that sin ....
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Ever again..."
00:15:21.66\00:15:22.66
- all promises that sound
good but are actually doomed
00:15:22.66\00:15:25.30
to fail.
00:15:25.30\00:15:26.40
In Philippians 3:9 Paul
wrote, "and be found in Him,
00:15:26.40\00:15:30.83
not having my own
righteousness, which is from
00:15:30.83\00:15:33.10
the law, but that which is
through faith in Christ, the
00:15:33.10\00:15:37.03
righteousness which
is from God by faith."
00:15:37.03\00:15:40.23
Philippians 3:9, NKJV Our
righteousness doesn't come
00:15:40.23\00:15:42.63
from us trying to do better.
00:15:42.63\00:15:44.56
Paul knew the righteousness
he needed was Christ's
00:15:44.56\00:15:47.50
righteousness, the only
righteousness that can open
00:15:47.50\00:15:50.53
the gates of heaven to us.
00:15:50.53\00:15:52.16
And Paul makes clear that
the only way he could get that
00:15:52.16\00:15:54.50
righteousness was
through faith, and not by trying
00:15:54.50\00:15:58.00
harder.
00:15:58.00\00:15:59.10
I'm not saying there's no
effort involved in being a
00:15:59.10\00:16:01.16
Christian, because
there certainly is.
00:16:01.16\00:16:03.16
But the greatest effort
we can make in our Christian
00:16:03.16\00:16:05.23
experience is the effort
to surrender to God, and allow
00:16:05.23\00:16:10.13
Him to make our heart His own.
00:16:10.13\00:16:12.40
If we can learn to yield to
God, to surrender, He'll give
00:16:12.40\00:16:15.00
us His righteousness -
the only kind of righteousness
00:16:15.00\00:16:17.93
that will do us any good.
00:16:17.93\00:16:19.36
You can make promises to
God, but it's better to believe
00:16:19.36\00:16:22.36
God's promises to you.
00:16:22.36\00:16:24.26
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:16:24.26\00:16:26.40
Let's live today by Every Word.
00:16:26.40\00:16:29.23
Frederick Douglas has said
that the pathway from slavery
00:16:29.23\00:16:33.30
to freedom is knowledge.
00:16:33.30\00:16:35.36
And he was absolutely right.
00:16:35.36\00:16:38.16
You know, there are so
many people in this world today
00:16:38.16\00:16:40.33
who are slaves but they
are unaware of their true
00:16:40.33\00:16:42.76
condition.
00:16:42.76\00:16:44.36
They are born into bondage
and unless the truth reaches
00:16:44.36\00:16:48.20
them, they will never be free.
00:16:48.20\00:16:51.06
Well, what kind of
slaves am I talking about?
00:16:51.06\00:16:53.76
Jesus said this in John
8:34 to 36, Most assuredly I say
00:16:53.76\00:17:00.20
to you, whoever
commits sin is a slave of sin.
00:17:00.20\00:17:04.50
And a slave does not abide
in the house forever but a son
00:17:04.50\00:17:09.20
abides forever.
00:17:09.20\00:17:10.86
Therefore, if the Son makes
you free, you shall be free
00:17:10.86\00:17:14.30
indeed.
00:17:14.30\00:17:16.40
Whoever commits sin is the
servant or the slave of sin.
00:17:16.40\00:17:22.30
If we have sinned then we
have become slaves and the
00:17:22.30\00:17:24.60
Bible says that all have
sinned and have come short of
00:17:24.60\00:17:28.33
the glory of God.
00:17:28.33\00:17:30.06
But, here is the thing.
00:17:30.06\00:17:31.50
While most people
would recognize I have made a
00:17:31.50\00:17:33.50
mistake or two, most
people would not go that step
00:17:33.50\00:17:35.90
further and say that
as a sinner, I have become
00:17:35.90\00:17:38.53
enslaved, I am in
bondage, I am in chains.
00:17:38.53\00:17:42.03
As a sinner, I am the
servant or the slave of sin.
00:17:42.03\00:17:47.20
And the most dangerous
thing about this is that people
00:17:47.20\00:17:49.43
might be born into a world
of sin and think that they are
00:17:49.43\00:17:53.13
okay.
00:17:53.13\00:17:54.13
Yes, I stumble.
00:17:54.13\00:17:55.13
Yes, I do this.
00:17:55.13\00:17:56.13
Yes, I err.
00:17:56.13\00:17:57.13
I am faulty.
00:17:57.13\00:17:58.36
But I am okay.
00:17:58.36\00:18:00.63
When perhaps they
are anything but okay.
00:18:00.63\00:18:04.63
We have been talking
about the social climate in the
00:18:04.63\00:18:08.23
1800's that brought about
the conditions whereby people
00:18:08.23\00:18:10.63
accepted slavery and I
know many people that I have
00:18:10.63\00:18:14.26
spoken to have shaken their
head and they have said, "how
00:18:14.26\00:18:16.80
could people accept such
an atrocity as though it's
00:18:16.80\00:18:19.73
okay."
00:18:19.73\00:18:21.40
Well, I'll tell you
this during the 1860's, the
00:18:21.40\00:18:24.86
churches of the South
signed a document stating their
00:18:24.86\00:18:29.03
support for slavery.
00:18:29.03\00:18:31.00
In an open letter to the
Christians of the world, the
00:18:31.00\00:18:33.66
leaders of the churches
of the confederacy wrote a
00:18:33.66\00:18:36.36
letter in which they said
this: "And we testify in the
00:18:36.36\00:18:40.10
sight of God, that the
relation of master and slave
00:18:40.10\00:18:44.00
among us, however we may
deplore abuses in this as in
00:18:44.00\00:18:48.16
other relations of mankind,
is not incompatible with our
00:18:48.16\00:18:51.83
wholly Christianity.
00:18:51.83\00:18:53.80
And that the presence of
the Africans of our land is an
00:18:53.80\00:18:56.36
occasion of gratitude
on their behalf before God.
00:18:56.36\00:19:01.20
Seeing that thereby Divine
providence has brought them
00:19:01.20\00:19:04.20
where missionaries of the
cross may freely proclaim to
00:19:04.20\00:19:07.30
them the word of
salvation and the work is not
00:19:07.30\00:19:10.43
interrupted by
agitating fanaticism.
00:19:10.43\00:19:13.53
The South has done more
than any people on earth for the
00:19:13.53\00:19:17.86
Christianization
of the African race."
00:19:17.86\00:19:20.93
Now this statement was not
made by some obscure group of
00:19:20.93\00:19:24.10
believers.
00:19:24.10\00:19:25.40
This was written and
signed by the leaders of the
00:19:25.40\00:19:28.90
Baptist, Methodist
Episcopal, Methodist Protestant,
00:19:28.90\00:19:32.96
Presbyterian, Lutheran and
German Reformed Churches just
00:19:32.96\00:19:37.40
to name a few.
00:19:37.40\00:19:39.70
Now in contrast to
this, listen to what Frederick
00:19:39.70\00:19:41.83
Douglas had to say
about Christian slave-owners.
00:19:41.83\00:19:45.96
I assert most unhesitatingly
that the religion of the
00:19:45.96\00:19:49.53
South is a mere covering
for the most horrid crimes, a
00:19:49.53\00:19:53.30
justifier of the
most appalling barbarity.
00:19:53.30\00:19:56.33
A sanctifier of the most
hateful frauds and a dark
00:19:56.33\00:19:59.56
shelter under which the
darkest, grossest and most
00:19:59.56\00:20:03.70
infernal deeds of
slaveholders find the
00:20:03.70\00:20:06.03
strongest protection, I
should regard being the slave
00:20:06.03\00:20:09.60
of a religious master the
greatest calamity that could
00:20:09.60\00:20:13.23
befall me, for all of the
slaveholders with whom I have
00:20:13.23\00:20:16.33
ever met, religious
slaveholders are the worst.
00:20:16.33\00:20:21.90
Now, let me make
something abundantly clear.
00:20:21.90\00:20:23.96
I'm not bringing any of this
up to be critical of anybody.
00:20:23.96\00:20:26.76
I am not trying to criticize
any religious groups and I
00:20:26.76\00:20:29.93
certainly am not trying
to throw the South under the
00:20:29.93\00:20:33.73
bus.
00:20:33.73\00:20:34.83
But here's the point.
00:20:34.83\00:20:36.10
Here's what we really
have got to understand.
00:20:36.10\00:20:39.13
Without the power of God in
our lives, left to ourselves,
00:20:39.13\00:20:44.46
left in a state of being
the captives, the slaves of sin,
00:20:44.46\00:20:50.00
all we've got to look forward
to is lives of sin and anger
00:20:50.00\00:20:54.33
and malice and lust
and ....and slavery.
00:20:54.33\00:20:59.50
I know it's easy to look
back on the past and wag our
00:20:59.50\00:21:02.06
finger at those who come
before us and criticize them
00:21:02.06\00:21:04.80
for their ignorance,
and say "how could they?"
00:21:04.80\00:21:06.83
But the truth is this.
00:21:06.83\00:21:09.00
With a heart of stone.
00:21:09.00\00:21:10.33
Without the regenerating
power of the Holy Spirit in
00:21:10.33\00:21:12.96
our lives that's
what we are all like.
00:21:12.96\00:21:15.86
The bible says all have
sinned and have come short of
00:21:15.86\00:21:19.13
the glory of God.
00:21:19.13\00:21:21.43
But there is a way out.
00:21:21.43\00:21:22.86
No, it's not will-power.
00:21:22.86\00:21:24.03
No amount of will-power
is going to break the chains
00:21:24.03\00:21:26.50
that bind you in sin.
00:21:26.50\00:21:28.03
No pledge, no promise,
no accountability partner.
00:21:28.03\00:21:31.56
No, that's not
what gets the job done.
00:21:31.56\00:21:34.70
There's one way to get
out of the shackles of sin and
00:21:34.70\00:21:37.50
that's through Jesus.
00:21:37.50\00:21:39.20
Remember that verse we
looked at before, from John 8.
00:21:39.20\00:21:42.43
Therefore, if the Son of
God shall make you free, you
00:21:42.43\00:21:45.06
shall be free indeed.
00:21:45.06\00:21:46.73
Isaiah 43:11 says this:
"I, even I am the Lord, and
00:21:46.73\00:21:52.13
beside me, there is no other."
00:21:52.13\00:21:54.90
So, what do you do when
you find yourself living a life
00:21:54.90\00:21:56.90
where you say "There's no
power and I'm stuck in a rut,
00:21:56.90\00:21:59.23
I'm stuck in an old way,
I'm stuck someplace I don't want
00:21:59.23\00:22:02.70
to be."
00:22:02.70\00:22:03.70
What do you do?
00:22:03.70\00:22:04.70
There's one thing to do.
00:22:04.70\00:22:06.93
When you find that sin
has the mastery over you, call
00:22:06.93\00:22:09.86
out to Jesus.
00:22:09.86\00:22:11.60
You can do that.
00:22:11.60\00:22:12.90
No, God is not some cosmic
cop with a big stick looking
00:22:12.90\00:22:15.86
to punish you or looking
to send you off to hell, if
00:22:15.86\00:22:18.50
that's what he was all about,
he could have done that long
00:22:18.50\00:22:21.10
ago.
00:22:21.10\00:22:22.10
Instead, the Bible says this
in John 3, not verse 16, but
00:22:22.10\00:22:25.50
verse 17.
00:22:25.50\00:22:26.50
It says this: For God did
not send his Son into the world
00:22:26.50\00:22:30.30
to condemn the world, but
that the world through him
00:22:30.30\00:22:33.26
might be saved.
00:22:33.26\00:22:35.93
Paul wrote to Timothy, and
he said in 1 Timothy 1:15 that
00:22:35.93\00:22:39.93
Jesus Christ came into
the world to save sinners.
00:22:39.93\00:22:45.03
The writer of the book
of Hebrews said in Hebrews 7
00:22:45.03\00:22:47.66
that Jesus is able to save
to the uttermost those who come
00:22:47.66\00:22:51.73
to God through Him because
he lives to make intercession
00:22:51.73\00:22:54.53
for us.
00:22:54.53\00:22:56.56
If you desire a new life,
freedom from the old ways,
00:22:56.56\00:23:00.06
freedom from the old habits,
if you want that power that
00:23:00.06\00:23:03.03
comes from Jesus Christ,
all you need do is ask Jesus to
00:23:03.03\00:23:06.23
come into your life and he will.
00:23:06.23\00:23:09.26
It's as simple as that.
00:23:09.26\00:23:10.26
And then, when you are
tempted to put somebody else
00:23:10.26\00:23:12.86
down, when you are
tempted to engage injustice or
00:23:12.86\00:23:16.53
oppression, when you are
tempted to be drawn into that
00:23:16.53\00:23:20.53
old life again,
here's what you do.
00:23:20.53\00:23:22.66
You turn your eyes upon Jesus.
00:23:22.66\00:23:24.66
And the old song says "look
full in his wonderful face"
00:23:24.66\00:23:28.53
and when you do, you'll
experience a newness in our
00:23:28.53\00:23:31.76
life, a power in your life.
00:23:31.76\00:23:34.00
It's real.
00:23:34.00\00:23:35.00
You can experience it today.
00:23:35.00\00:23:37.20
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians
5:17, if anybody is in
00:23:37.20\00:23:41.43
Christ, that person
becomes a new creature.
00:23:41.43\00:23:45.16
Old things are past away.
00:23:45.16\00:23:46.66
Behold, all things become new.
00:23:46.66\00:23:51.03
What do you want to be
made new in your life today?
00:23:51.03\00:23:53.86
Well, let me put
it another way ...
00:23:53.86\00:23:55.86
what are you a slave to?
00:23:55.86\00:23:57.06
What is keeping you down?
00:23:57.06\00:23:58.83
What is holding you back?
00:23:58.83\00:24:00.16
Is there something?
00:24:00.16\00:24:02.06
You can invite Jesus to take
that away and replace it with
00:24:02.06\00:24:04.60
the power of his presence
today, now, and he will do it
00:24:04.60\00:24:08.56
for you.
00:24:08.56\00:24:10.00
Years after Frederick Douglas
found his freedom, he wrote
00:24:10.00\00:24:13.23
these words: I have often
been asked how I felt when
00:24:13.23\00:24:17.50
first I found myself on free
soil and my readers may share
00:24:17.50\00:24:22.40
the same curiosity.
00:24:22.40\00:24:24.70
There was scarcely anything
in my experience about which
00:24:24.70\00:24:27.63
I could not give a
more satisfactory answer.
00:24:27.63\00:24:31.13
A new world had opened upon me.
00:24:31.13\00:24:33.86
If life is more than breath
and a quick round of blood, I
00:24:33.86\00:24:37.70
lived more in one day than
in a year of my slave-life.
00:24:37.70\00:24:42.16
It was a time of joyous
excitement, which words can
00:24:42.16\00:24:44.60
but tamely describe in a
letter written to a friend
00:24:44.60\00:24:48.10
soon after reaching New York,
I said, I felt as one might
00:24:48.10\00:24:51.56
feel upon escape from
a den of hungry lions.
00:24:51.56\00:24:55.10
Anguish and grief, like
darkness and rain, may be
00:24:55.10\00:24:58.43
depicted but gladness and
joy, like the rainbow, defy
00:24:58.43\00:25:04.06
the skill of pen or pencil.
00:25:04.06\00:25:06.80
Frederick Douglas experienced
freedom from slavery and you
00:25:06.80\00:25:10.93
can experience freedom
from the slavery of sin through
00:25:10.93\00:25:14.93
Jesus when you
accept him into your life.
00:25:14.93\00:25:17.76
Would you do that now?
00:25:17.76\00:25:19.96
Let's pray together.
00:25:19.96\00:25:21.96
Our Father in heaven, we
thank you today for freedom
00:25:21.96\00:25:24.43
in Jesus.
00:25:24.43\00:25:26.30
We thank you, Lord, that
through Christ, we can true
00:25:26.30\00:25:29.70
freedom, no longer the
servants or the slaves of sin
00:25:29.70\00:25:33.33
but the servants
only of the God of heaven.
00:25:33.33\00:25:36.13
We thank you for new life.
00:25:36.13\00:25:37.86
We accept it gratefully.
00:25:37.86\00:25:40.50
Lord, let your son Jesus
live his life in us and we pray
00:25:40.50\00:25:45.40
with thanks today
for freedom in you.
00:25:45.40\00:25:48.23
In Jesus' name, Amen.
00:25:48.23\00:25:54.23
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Thank you for your
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support.
00:27:27.76\00:27:29.76
Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:31.26\00:27:32.60
Look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:32.60\00:27:34.60
Until then, remember, It
is written, man shall not live
00:27:34.60\00:27:38.43
by bread alone but by every
word that proceeds from the
00:27:38.43\00:27:41.86
mouth of God.
00:27:41.86\00:27:43.86