It has stood the
test of time, 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 and
this is It Is Written.
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Thanks for joining me today.
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I'm here behind the GAR Hall,
the oldest church building in
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the City of
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
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It was built in
1822 by Methodists.
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It was the first church in
this area to allow Blacks and
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Whites to worship together.
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The church is
still in use today.
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In 1863, during and after
the Battle of Gettysburg, most
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public buildings and most
church buildings were pressed
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into emergency service.
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Many college buildings,
seminary buildings, even
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private homes were converted
into hospitals to take care
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of the many wounded and dying.
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Behind the GAR Hall here
you find this little cemetery.
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There is no shortage of
cemeteries here in Gettysburg
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and that is because so
many people died in battle.
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During the course of the
American Civil War, more than
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700,000 soldiers died, almost
8,000 alone during this one
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battle here and more
following the battle.
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If you plan to make a trip
to come and visit Gettysburg and
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you do a little bit of
research you are probably
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going to discover
this interesting fact.
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The number one money
making tourism enterprise in
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Gettysburg is ghost tours.
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In fact, one company that
operates ghost tours here in
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Gettysburg has this to
say on its website: Of all the
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forlorn countless souls awash
in time, none reach out to us
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more than those of
the dead at Gettysburg.
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They were young men,
mostly, with hopes for a bright
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future and moved by sincere,
patriotic dreams, caught up
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and cruelly thrown down
again in that great hot world of
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mortal combat.
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Their presence on earth was
silenced forever by death, or
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maybe not.
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What's really going on here?
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Are the ghosts of dead
soldiers really wandering
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around Gettysburg?
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Lost in some sort of purgatory?
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And if they really are,
what stranded them here?
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Was it the tragedy of war?
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Or was it as the website
says, their intense desire
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for a bright future?
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Did nobody tell them that
the battle of Gettysburg ended a
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century and a half ago?
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When it comes to the subject
of what happens to the dead,
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the only place you can go
to for reliable answers is the
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Word of God.
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It is the only
thing we can really trust.
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The Ghosts of Gettysburg.
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I'll have more in just a moment.
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In Matthew 4:4, the Word
of God says, " 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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Every Word is a one-minute
Bible-based daily devotional
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presented by Pastor
John Bradshaw and designed
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especially for
busy people like you.
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Look for Every Word on
selected networks or watch it
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on-line everyday on our
website, itiswritten.com.
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Receive a daily spiritual boost.
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Watch Every Word.
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You'll be glad you did.
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Today, we're talking
about the ghosts of Gettysburg.
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It is big business around here.
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In fact, let me tell
you a local ghost story.
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The word is that not that
many years ago, two men in a
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multistory building somewhere
around here in Gettysburg got
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onto an elevator and
they headed down to the bottom
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floor.
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When they got to the
bottom floor, the doors of the
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elevator opened and
they looked out and they were
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shocked to see right before
their eyes, in vivid color,
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larger than life, a
battleground scene from
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Gettysburg.
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They looked out there and
they could hear the groans of
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the dying and they could
smell warfare and death and
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they could see doctors and
medical people scurrying to
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and fro and they could
experience it all and they
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looked at this ting and they
looked at each other and they
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pressed the button and as
the elevator doors were closing,
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one of the doctors looked
up at them with an appealing
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look in his eyes.
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Do you think it was true?
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Well, keep listening.
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Today's program is going
to answer that question really
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very clearly.
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The idea of people dying
and leaving spirits here on the
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earth to wander to
and fro is an old idea.
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As a matter of fact, people
have been believing in ghosts
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since before human
beings started leaving written
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records.
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Today, most people fall into
one or the other of two main
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camps when it comes to this
question of what happens when
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you die.
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Many people believe that
when you die, you go straight to
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heaven or straight to
hell or perhaps purgatory.
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In other words, you
survive bodily death.
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You go on living after
you die and then there is a
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school of thought that says
that when you die your spirit
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goes back to God like your
hopes and dreams and thoughts
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and desires and
aspirations all cease to be.
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As Solomon wrote in
Ecclesiastes 9:5, the dead
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know not anything.
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Well, whatever you believe
about that, there's one thing
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everybody ought to be able
to agree on and that's this.
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That when you die, you
don't leave a spirit behind that
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roams the earth.
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The dead don't come back to
visit their families or haunt
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houses.
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In the Bible, the only spirit
beings that roam the earth,
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at least in the Old
Testament, were angels.
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Interestingly, even in the
Bible there were people who
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believed in ghosts.
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Let's consider a
New Testament Story.
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We get it from
Matthew, Chapter 14.
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The disciples were out on
the lake, on the Sea of Galilee.
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It was night time, a
big storm had came up.
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The wind was blowing and
these guys were in a fight
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for their lives.
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Keep in mind
they were tough guys.
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Many of them fishermen,
some of them at least, and they
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had spent, a number of these
disciples, a lot of time out
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there on that lake.
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But this night they actually
thought that they were going
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to die.
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They were scared stiff.
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Let's pick up the
story in Matthew 14:25, 26.
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Now in the fourth watch of
the night, Jesus went to them
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walking on the sea, and when
the disciples saw him walking
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on the sea, they were
troubled, saying 'It is a
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ghost', and they cried
out for fear." Did I read that
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right?
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Did the disciples
actually believe in ghosts?
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The ones who spent many of
their waking days, in fact,
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every day for several years
with Jesus, the divine Son of
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God, did these
guys believe in ghosts?
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Evidently so.
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And it wasn't just the
disciples who believed this
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either.
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There is a very curious
story found in the Old Testament
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concerning a man named Saul,
that is, King Saul, the King
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of Israel.
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King Saul believed that he
had an encounter with a ghost
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as well.
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You find the story in 1
Samuel 28 and the fact is,
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it's the only real ghost
story that you find in the
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Bible.
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Understanding this story
gives us some real insight
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into the supernatural.
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Let's pick it up
in 1 Samuel 28:8.
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So Saul disguised himself
and put on other clothes and he
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went and two men with him.
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And they came to the woman
by night and he said, "please
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conduct a séance for me
and bring up for me the one I
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shall name for you.
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Then the woman said to him,
'look, you know what Saul has
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done, how he has cut off
the mediums and the spiritists
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from the land.
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Why then do you lay a
snare for my life to cause me to
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die?
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And Saul swore to her by
the Lord saying, as the Lord
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lives, no punishment shall
come upon you for this thing.
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Then, the woman said,
whom shall I bring up for you?
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And he said,
bring up Samuel for me.
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When the woman saw Samuel,
she cried out with a loud
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voice, and the woman spoke
to Saul, saying, 'why have you
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deceived me?
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For you are Saul!' And the
King said to her, 'do not be
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afraid.
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What do you see?' And the
woman said to Saul, 'I saw a
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spirit ascending out of
the earth.' So he said to her,
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'what is his form?' and she
said 'an old man is coming up
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and he is covered with a
mantle,' and Saul perceived
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that it was Samuel and he
stooped with his face to the
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ground and bowed down.
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Now, Samuel said to Saul,
"Why have you disturbed me by
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bringing me up?"
Interesting, isn't it?
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Now, the question we
want to ask ourselves is this.
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Was that actually
the ghost of Samuel?
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Evidently looked like
Samuel, apparently talked like
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Samuel.
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This Samuel figure evidently
recognized Saul and Samuel
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wasn't too happy about having
been brought back from the
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dead.
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So how do we understand this?
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First thing you want to do
is consider the context in which
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this took place.
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King Saul was talking to a
medium and this was something
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that God had expressly
forbidden his people from
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doing.
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Leviticus 19:31, "Give
no regard to mediums and
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familiar spirits.
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Do not seek after
them to be defiled by them.
00:10:06.23\00:10:09.33
I am the Lord your God."
Then we read this in Deuteronomy
00:10:09.33\00:10:13.36
18:9-13, "when you come into
the land which the Lord your
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God is giving you, you
shall not learn to follow the
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abominations of those nations.
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There shall not be found
among you anyone who makes
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his son or his daughter
pass through the fire or one who
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practices witchcraft,
or a soothsayer, or one who
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interprets omens, or a
sorcerer, or one who conjures
00:10:32.43\00:10:35.16
spells, or a medium, or a
spiritist, or one who calls
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up the dead, for all
who do these things are an
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abomination to the
Lord and because of these
00:10:44.23\00:10:47.20
abominations, the Lord
your God drives them out from
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before you.
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You shall be blameless
before the Lord your God.
00:10:51.00\00:10:54.13
And then Leviticus 20:6,
"And the person who turns to
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mediums and familiar spirits
to prostitute himself with
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them, I will set my face
against that person and cut
00:11:02.13\00:11:05.86
him off from his people."
00:11:05.86\00:11:06.86
Spiritualism is one of
Satan's most overwhelming and
00:11:06.86\00:11:11.90
most effective deceptions
and it was cooked up in the
00:11:11.90\00:11:15.36
theological
seminaries of hell itself.
00:11:15.36\00:11:19.06
There is no question
something was going on and
00:11:19.06\00:11:21.53
what was going on was this:
Saul the King was speaking to
00:11:21.53\00:11:25.90
the medium and the medium was
communicating with the devil.
00:11:25.90\00:11:30.86
It's important that we
know this, especially in this
00:11:30.86\00:11:34.00
world where psychics are
big business and mediums have
00:11:34.00\00:11:38.43
their own television programs.
00:11:38.43\00:11:40.43
It wasn't that long ago that
a cable TV channel came here
00:11:40.43\00:11:43.10
to Gettysburg and they
filmed the show on paranormal
00:11:43.10\00:11:46.83
activity in Gettysburg.
00:11:46.83\00:11:48.93
They brought high tech
electronic equipment that
00:11:48.93\00:11:51.76
they hoped was going to
help him capture communication
00:11:51.76\00:11:55.90
with spirits
from the other side.
00:11:55.90\00:11:58.16
How successful
were they in doing so?
00:11:58.16\00:12:01.16
Well you and I both know.
00:12:01.16\00:12:02.90
People say
Gettysburg is haunted.
00:12:02.90\00:12:05.10
People refer to hearing
strange things and seeing odd
00:12:05.10\00:12:07.96
things from time to time.
00:12:07.96\00:12:09.56
Activity they can't
really adequately explain.
00:12:09.56\00:12:12.53
But you know, that's true
for just about anywhere in the
00:12:12.53\00:12:15.60
United States.
00:12:15.60\00:12:16.66
You hear something, you see
something, if you hadn't been
00:12:16.66\00:12:20.46
told that there are spirits
roaming around, you'd never
00:12:20.46\00:12:23.43
have even
thought it was a spirit.
00:12:23.43\00:12:26.10
You would have thought
that noise in your attic was a
00:12:26.10\00:12:29.06
racoon, you would not
have been worried about some
00:12:29.06\00:12:31.90
departed Gettysburg soldier.
00:12:31.90\00:12:32.93
It is said that Gettysburg
is the most haunted place in the
00:12:32.93\00:12:36.96
United States.
00:12:36.96\00:12:38.03
True or False?
00:12:38.03\00:12:39.03
Well, it's true that
it's said that, but I think we
00:12:39.03\00:12:42.73
both know why it is said.
00:12:42.73\00:12:44.40
You know why?
00:12:44.40\00:12:46.10
Because it's good
for business, that's why.
00:12:46.10\00:12:51.80
Now, God does have a means
of assisting those of us living
00:12:51.80\00:12:56.20
on the earth, even sometimes
communicating with us here on
00:12:56.20\00:13:00.60
earth.
00:13:00.60\00:13:01.60
How does God doe
that, supernaturally?
00:13:01.60\00:13:03.60
1) Through the Holy Spirit;
2) Through the Word of God;
00:13:03.60\00:13:07.60
and 3) Through angels.
00:13:07.60\00:13:14.56
One thing that is consistent
in the Bible about angels is
00:13:14.56\00:13:18.30
that when angels interact
with human beings, they have
00:13:18.30\00:13:21.16
this tremendous capacity to
be able to fill human beings
00:13:21.16\00:13:24.23
with awe.
00:13:24.23\00:13:25.23
They are awe-inspiring.
00:13:25.23\00:13:26.23
I will share with you a
couple of verses from the
00:13:26.23\00:13:28.23
Bible that make that
point very, very clear.
00:13:28.23\00:13:31.90
Matthew 28:5, the angel
answered and said unto the
00:13:31.90\00:13:37.40
women, "fear not for I
know that you seek Jesus, which
00:13:37.40\00:13:43.46
was crucified." These are the
women who came down to Jesus'
00:13:43.46\00:13:46.56
tomb.
00:13:46.56\00:13:47.56
The angel appeared
and they were awestruck.
00:13:47.56\00:13:50.40
Now, the word used is
"fear" and I've got to be honest
00:13:50.40\00:13:53.26
with you and tell you that
I'm not sure how much terror
00:13:53.26\00:13:55.96
filled these people as
much as wonder and awe ... a
00:13:55.96\00:13:59.76
heavenly being.
00:13:59.76\00:14:00.96
We are in the presence of
somebody who has come from
00:14:00.96\00:14:03.20
God.
00:14:03.20\00:14:04.20
They didn't have to be
terrified of God, but I tell
00:14:04.20\00:14:06.43
you, the word is not
inappropriate any how, they
00:14:06.43\00:14:09.96
were afraid,
they were awestruck.
00:14:09.96\00:14:12.33
I'll give you another verse
that makes the same point and
00:14:12.33\00:14:14.33
we'll discuss a
couple of others again.
00:14:14.33\00:14:16.50
Luke 1:12, when Zacharias,
that's the father of John the
00:14:16.50\00:14:22.36
Baptist, saw him, the Angel,
he was troubled and fear fell
00:14:22.36\00:14:29.50
upon him.
00:14:29.50\00:14:30.63
So the angels of heaven have
this ability to instill fear
00:14:30.63\00:14:34.66
or inspire awe in those
people who encounter the
00:14:34.66\00:14:38.30
angels of heaven.
00:14:38.30\00:14:39.43
You read in Daniel 8, Daniel
said "when the angel appeared
00:14:39.43\00:14:43.20
to him, he was afraid and
he fell on his face." So point
00:14:43.20\00:14:48.73
#1, angels inspire,
let's say fear or awe.
00:14:48.73\00:14:52.30
You choose which
word works best for you.
00:14:52.30\00:14:56.53
Point #2 angels are powerful.
00:14:56.53\00:14:59.16
I want to share a little
story with you from Isaiah
00:14:59.16\00:15:02.43
37, how powerful are the angels?
00:15:02.43\00:15:05.66
Well, let's look at this.
00:15:05.66\00:15:08.53
At Gettysburg in 1863,
the Battle at Gettysburg ended
00:15:08.53\00:15:12.30
with 8000 or thereabouts deaths.
00:15:12.30\00:15:16.10
Many more casualties when you
take into account the wounded
00:15:16.10\00:15:18.50
and the missing and so on,
and then about another 8000
00:15:18.50\00:15:21.30
people died shortly after
the battle of Gettysburg and it
00:15:21.30\00:15:24.00
is interesting to just
say that as though it is of no
00:15:24.00\00:15:26.90
consequence but it was
of colossal consequence.
00:15:26.90\00:15:29.53
Then you had the battle of
Antedum, the bloodiest single
00:15:29.53\00:15:32.00
day in the history of
the American civil war.
00:15:32.00\00:15:35.03
But look at this.
00:15:35.03\00:15:36.03
How powerful is
an angel of heaven?
00:15:36.03\00:15:39.50
I'll read in Isaiah
37 starting in verse 33.
00:15:39.50\00:15:42.40
Listen to this.
00:15:42.40\00:15:43.83
God says, therefore thus
saith the Lord concerning the
00:15:43.83\00:15:46.46
King of Assyria.
00:15:46.46\00:15:47.96
He shall not come into this
city nor shoot an arrow there
00:15:47.96\00:15:50.73
nor come before it
with shields nor cast a bank
00:15:50.73\00:15:53.43
against it.
00:15:53.43\00:15:54.43
By the way that he came, by
the same shall he return and
00:15:54.43\00:15:57.46
shall not come into
this city, saith the Lord.
00:15:57.46\00:15:59.83
For I will defend this city
to save it for mine own sake,
00:15:59.83\00:16:03.46
and for my servant David's sake.
00:16:03.46\00:16:06.40
And then what did God do?
00:16:06.40\00:16:08.93
God commissioned an angel who
went forth and ... well, let's
00:16:08.93\00:16:14.70
read.
00:16:14.70\00:16:15.70
Let's read and see what
happens in verse 36: Then the
00:16:15.70\00:16:18.93
angel of the Lord went
forth and smoke the camp of the
00:16:18.93\00:16:22.06
Assyrians 185,000 and
when they arose early in the
00:16:22.06\00:16:29.30
morning, behold they
were all dead corpses.
00:16:29.30\00:16:35.60
One angel, so powerful, that
185,000 soldiers were killed
00:16:35.60\00:16:44.53
in one fell swoop.
00:16:44.53\00:16:47.26
How powerful are
the angels of God?
00:16:47.26\00:16:50.80
They are tremendously powerful.
00:16:50.80\00:16:53.63
Now there is another
point I want you to look at
00:16:53.63\00:16:56.03
concerning the angels of heaven.
00:16:56.03\00:16:58.56
God's messengers sent to
this earth, and that's this.
00:16:58.56\00:17:01.73
2 Kings 6:13, He, the king,
said, go and spy where he is
00:17:01.73\00:17:07.03
that I may send and fetch him.
00:17:07.03\00:17:09.50
And it was told him
saying behold he is in Dothan,
00:17:09.50\00:17:11.90
therefore he sent there
horses and chariots and a
00:17:11.90\00:17:14.10
great host and they came
by night and encompassed the
00:17:14.10\00:17:17.63
city about and when the
servant of the man of God was
00:17:17.63\00:17:20.83
risen early and gone forth
behold, an host compassed the
00:17:20.83\00:17:24.76
city both with
horses and chariots.
00:17:24.76\00:17:27.90
And his servants said
unto him, Alas my master, how
00:17:27.90\00:17:30.90
shall we do?
00:17:30.90\00:17:32.03
And he answered Fear not for
they that be with us are more
00:17:32.03\00:17:35.96
than they that be with
them and Elisha prayed and said
00:17:35.96\00:17:40.76
Lord, I pray thee open his
eyes that he may see and the
00:17:40.76\00:17:46.33
Lord opened the eyes of
the young man and he saw and
00:17:46.33\00:17:51.26
behold, the mountain was
full of horses and chariots of
00:17:51.26\00:17:56.43
fire round about Elisha.
00:17:56.43\00:18:00.10
In 2 Kings 6 the angels
appeared as brilliant beings.
00:18:00.10\00:18:05.50
What a display to see the
mountain full of horses and
00:18:05.50\00:18:08.80
chariots of fire
sent from God and angels.
00:18:08.80\00:18:13.30
The word of God said
a great host was there.
00:18:13.30\00:18:16.10
How impressive that must have
been to the view of Elisha's
00:18:16.10\00:18:20.13
servant, to walk out there
and look out and see what God
00:18:20.13\00:18:24.10
had sent, all sent by God to
assist and aid and help God's
00:18:24.10\00:18:28.33
people and bring
encouragement and assure
00:18:28.33\00:18:30.83
God's people
that he was with him.
00:18:30.83\00:18:33.80
God was there with his people
and the angels appeared as
00:18:33.80\00:18:38.13
messengers of God to
bring strength and hope.
00:18:38.13\00:18:41.86
Now, about the
way angels appear.
00:18:41.86\00:18:45.63
The word of God makes
clear that angels are able to
00:18:45.63\00:18:49.20
assume other forms.
00:18:49.20\00:18:50.86
Now, here is
what I mean by that.
00:18:50.86\00:18:53.93
I will give you a couple
of very Biblical examples.
00:18:53.93\00:18:55.93
In the NT, the Word of
God says that Satan is able to
00:18:55.93\00:18:58.40
appear as an angel of light.
00:18:58.40\00:19:00.53
Now, he is an angel of darkness.
00:19:00.53\00:19:02.53
He is the Devil.
00:19:02.53\00:19:03.83
Nevertheless, he can disguise
himself in such a way as he
00:19:03.83\00:19:08.73
can appear to be an angel
of goodness, an angel of light.
00:19:08.73\00:19:13.40
Let's get an even more
graphic example than that.
00:19:13.40\00:19:15.80
We go back to Genesis.
00:19:15.80\00:19:17.53
The creation story just after
the creation story in Genesis
00:19:17.53\00:19:21.66
3.
00:19:21.66\00:19:22.66
In Genesis 3:1, the
Bible says "Now the serpent was
00:19:22.66\00:19:28.00
more subtle than any beast
of the field which the Lord God
00:19:28.00\00:19:31.40
had made and he said unto the
woman, Yay, hath God said you
00:19:31.40\00:19:35.63
shall not eat of
every tree of the garden?
00:19:35.63\00:19:38.63
And the woman said unto
the serpent, "we may eat of the
00:19:38.63\00:19:42.46
fruit of the trees of the
garden, but of the fruit of
00:19:42.46\00:19:45.53
the tree which is in the
midst of the Garden, God has
00:19:45.53\00:19:48.33
said ..." and so on.
00:19:48.33\00:19:49.93
The devil appeared as a snake.
00:19:49.93\00:19:55.00
Must have been a very
beautiful creature, because
00:19:55.00\00:19:57.96
Eve was enticed.
00:19:57.96\00:19:59.10
She was beguiled.
00:19:59.10\00:20:00.20
She was drawn.
00:20:00.20\00:20:01.20
She was attracted to
what was taking place.
00:20:01.20\00:20:03.80
And maybe there is
something about a talking snake.
00:20:03.80\00:20:06.83
A little hard for me
to relate to because I was
00:20:06.83\00:20:09.23
raised in one of the very
few countries in the world where
00:20:09.23\00:20:12.43
there are no snakes.
00:20:12.43\00:20:13.43
There are only three of
them and I was raised in one of
00:20:13.43\00:20:15.93
those three
countries ....no snakes at all.
00:20:15.93\00:20:18.86
I wasn't raised with any
affinity for snakes in any
00:20:18.86\00:20:22.23
way, shape or form.
00:20:22.23\00:20:23.53
Now I've developed a
working toleration with them.
00:20:23.53\00:20:28.93
I can't imagine what I
would ever have done if I would
00:20:28.93\00:20:31.26
have heard a talking snake.
00:20:31.26\00:20:32.33
I'd like to think that I
would not have hung around.
00:20:32.33\00:20:36.20
Eve heard the voice,
looked and saw the snake, the
00:20:36.20\00:20:40.76
serpent, it must have been
a beautiful creature and she
00:20:40.76\00:20:45.66
entered into a discussion
with it and where did that
00:20:45.66\00:20:48.43
discussion lead?
00:20:48.43\00:20:49.86
It led to where we are today.
00:20:49.86\00:20:51.10
Plunged into misery and
sin, and depths of despair as a
00:20:51.10\00:20:54.10
planet hoping for a better
day and we know that better
00:20:54.10\00:20:57.16
day is the return of Jesus.
00:20:57.16\00:21:00.56
Lucifer, now Satan, changed
his form and he did that to
00:21:00.56\00:21:06.80
draw Eve and Adam and this
whole planet into the depths
00:21:06.80\00:21:12.33
of the misery of sin.
00:21:12.33\00:21:14.66
Now, there is another point
I want to make about angels,
00:21:14.66\00:21:18.20
and that's this.
00:21:18.20\00:21:19.36
You know God created us
in such a way that we can be
00:21:19.36\00:21:22.93
inhabited.
00:21:22.93\00:21:23.93
The Bible says that we
are the temple of the Holy
00:21:23.93\00:21:26.80
Spirit.
00:21:26.80\00:21:27.80
We were created to be
filled with the presence of God.
00:21:27.80\00:21:31.26
In Revelation 3, Jesus says
'Behold, I stand at the door
00:21:31.26\00:21:35.36
and knock.
00:21:35.36\00:21:36.66
If anyone hears my voice
and opens the door, I will come
00:21:36.66\00:21:39.86
into him and dine with
him and that person will dine
00:21:39.86\00:21:42.50
with me.
00:21:42.50\00:21:43.60
Jesus wants to come into
us and live his life in us.
00:21:43.60\00:21:48.33
We read that again and again
and again in the word of God.
00:21:48.33\00:21:51.43
We were made to be inhabited.
00:21:51.43\00:21:55.36
However, you have also read
in the Word of God that there
00:21:55.36\00:21:58.70
are people who have been
inhabited by the wrong spirit
00:21:58.70\00:22:03.16
and there are probably
several places we could go in
00:22:03.16\00:22:05.40
the Bible to illustrate that,
but I want to go to Luke 11
00:22:05.40\00:22:09.63
and there is an interesting
passage in Luke 11 that
00:22:09.63\00:22:13.50
demonstrates this.
00:22:13.50\00:22:15.36
Luke 11, I'm going to
read in verse 24 and on.
00:22:15.36\00:22:21.76
When the unclean spirit is
gone out of a man, he walketh
00:22:21.76\00:22:27.16
through dry places seeking
rest and finding none, he
00:22:27.16\00:22:30.66
saith, I will return unto
my house whence I came out and
00:22:30.66\00:22:35.43
when he cometh, he
findeth it swept and garnished.
00:22:35.43\00:22:38.40
Then he goes and he takes to
him seven other spirits, more
00:22:38.40\00:22:43.16
wicked than hiself and they
enter in and dwell there and
00:22:43.16\00:22:48.30
the last state of that
man is worse than his first.
00:22:48.30\00:22:53.56
Isn't that something?
00:22:53.56\00:22:55.66
You wee, we were made to
be inhabitated, inhabited by a
00:22:55.66\00:22:58.73
spirit.
00:22:58.73\00:22:59.73
God is a spirit and that
is who we want to fill us up.
00:22:59.73\00:23:02.26
Jesus wants to live his
life in us and he would do that
00:23:02.26\00:23:04.93
today through the Holy Spirit.
00:23:04.93\00:23:07.40
But if we are not filled with
the Holy Spirit, we are going
00:23:07.40\00:23:11.86
to be filled with something.
00:23:11.86\00:23:13.43
Notice, the demon was cast
out or went out of a man, he
00:23:13.43\00:23:17.63
came back to that person and
found the man empty ... empty
00:23:17.63\00:23:22.70
and because he was empty,
there was room inside that
00:23:22.70\00:23:26.13
person's mind or heart or
life for that demon and many
00:23:26.13\00:23:30.13
of his associates.
00:23:30.13\00:23:31.96
We were made to be filled up.
00:23:31.96\00:23:33.66
We were made to be
filled with the Spirit of God.
00:23:33.66\00:23:37.03
However, if we are not, we
can be filled with the Spirit
00:23:37.03\00:23:41.16
of Satan.
00:23:41.16\00:23:42.16
We can be filled with demons.
00:23:42.16\00:23:44.06
People can be possessed.
00:23:44.06\00:23:45.46
You know, that's one of
the reasons why it's so very,
00:23:45.46\00:23:48.20
very important not to go
to mediums, not to consult
00:23:48.20\00:23:52.00
mediums, not to consult
with psychics, to stay away from
00:23:52.00\00:23:54.90
psychic phenomena, to
stay away from that dangerous,
00:23:54.90\00:23:57.60
unbiblical paranormal activity.
00:23:57.60\00:24:00.83
Why?
00:24:00.83\00:24:01.83
Because it is not of God.
00:24:01.83\00:24:02.83
And if you will give the
enemy of Saul a toehold, he
00:24:02.83\00:24:05.43
will take it.
00:24:05.43\00:24:06.43
If you give him an
inch, he will take a mile.
00:24:06.43\00:24:08.43
If you give him access to
your life at all, before you
00:24:08.43\00:24:11.20
know it, he has taken
over our life completely.
00:24:11.20\00:24:14.93
The only safe thing to do
is to stay away from that dark
00:24:14.93\00:24:17.96
side, to stay away from the
mediums and the psychics, to
00:24:17.96\00:24:22.00
stay away from the ghosts
and the ghost stories and run to
00:24:22.00\00:24:25.70
Jesus and hang on to
Jesus and just don't let go.
00:24:25.70\00:24:30.26
You can't always explain
things that go bump in the
00:24:33.03\00:24:35.30
night, except you can know this.
00:24:35.30\00:24:37.86
The Devil is a liar.
00:24:37.86\00:24:39.16
Jesus called him the father
of lies and to get a world
00:24:39.16\00:24:42.86
full of people to believe
that the spirits of the dead
00:24:42.86\00:24:45.40
come back to the earth
and roam the streets and haunt
00:24:45.40\00:24:48.16
houses, really ... that's
quite an achievement, especially
00:24:48.16\00:24:51.56
when the Bible says plainly
and simply in the Book of Job
00:24:51.56\00:24:54.60
7 that the dead return
no more to their house.
00:24:54.60\00:24:59.93
So, are there demons roaming
the streets of Gettysburg?
00:24:59.93\00:25:04.66
I wouldn't doubt it for
a moment, not for a moment.
00:25:04.66\00:25:08.20
But are they the spirits
of dead soldiers wandering
00:25:08.20\00:25:11.66
around, troubling
people and bothering lives?
00:25:11.66\00:25:13.96
It absolutely cannot be
that way, at least, not if you
00:25:13.96\00:25:18.76
want to believe the Bible.
00:25:18.76\00:25:21.03
I will never forget the
experience I had visiting a
00:25:21.03\00:25:23.16
lady in her home a number
of years ago and she told me
00:25:23.16\00:25:25.63
this story: She said that
her uncle lived with her family
00:25:25.63\00:25:30.16
in the last years of his life
and that he died right there
00:25:30.16\00:25:33.36
in her home.
00:25:33.36\00:25:35.00
It was not but a couple
of days after the funeral and
00:25:35.00\00:25:37.30
she went back into uncle
Larry's bedroom to straighten
00:25:37.30\00:25:40.33
something up or
return something or retrieve
00:25:40.33\00:25:42.73
something and as she stepped
into that room, music started
00:25:42.73\00:25:47.80
playing.
00:25:47.80\00:25:49.00
She looked around.
00:25:49.00\00:25:50.23
She didn't know
how to explain that.
00:25:50.23\00:25:52.23
She stepped out of the
room and the music stopped.
00:25:52.23\00:25:55.73
So she stepped in and it
started and she stepped out
00:25:55.73\00:25:58.10
and it stopped, and she had
a little fun with this for a
00:25:58.10\00:26:00.23
while and she wondered what
was going on and she wondered
00:26:00.23\00:26:02.53
if she was hearing things
and then she realized that's the
00:26:02.53\00:26:06.46
kind of music
Uncle Larry used to live.
00:26:06.46\00:26:08.66
That's what is going on here.
00:26:08.66\00:26:11.03
Uncle Larry is back and he
is telling us everything is
00:26:11.03\00:26:14.10
okay.
00:26:14.10\00:26:16.66
Well, you can believe that
if you want to but it's not what
00:26:16.66\00:26:20.13
the Word of God says.
00:26:20.13\00:26:21.76
The Bible does not tell
us that the dead come back to
00:26:21.76\00:26:24.80
the earth, haunt houses,
scare people and roam the
00:26:24.80\00:26:29.13
streets of
cities like Gettysburg.
00:26:29.13\00:26:31.36
In fact, that's
far from the truth.
00:26:31.36\00:26:34.96
It just doesn't happen and
we have that on the authority of
00:26:34.96\00:26:39.20
the Word of God.
00:26:39.20\00:26:42.66
The Mystery of Death is
a book that will help you
00:26:42.66\00:26:45.20
discover the truth of the
after-life, death whenever it
00:26:45.20\00:26:48.93
happens is a tragedy and
people wonder what happens
00:26:48.93\00:26:52.43
next.
00:26:52.43\00:26:53.43
In this week's free book,
the mystery of death, pastor
00:26:53.43\00:26:56.70
Bradshaw explores this
often misunderstood subject and
00:26:56.70\00:26:59.40
provides answers
directly from the Bible.
00:26:59.40\00:27:01.80
Just call 1.80.253.3000 and
ask for the book The Mystery
00:27:01.80\00:27:05.66
of Death.
00:27:05.66\00:27:06.66
You can call
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00:27:06.66\00:27:09.76
If the line is
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00:27:09.76\00:27:11.90
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00:27:11.90\00:27:15.26
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00:27:15.26\00:27:19.23
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00:27:19.23\00:27:21.60
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00:27:25.43\00:27:26.43
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00:27:26.43\00:27:28.93
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00:27:28.93\00:27:32.33
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00:27:32.33\00:27:33.33
It Is Written is a
faith-based ministry made
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possible by viewers like you.
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Thank you for your letters
and your continued support.
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Thanks for joining me today.
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I look forward to
seeing you again next time.
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Until then, remember, it
is written, man shall not live
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by bread alone, but by every
word that proceeds from the
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mouth of God.
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