It has stood the test of time.
00:00:06.96\00:00:09.43
God's book.
00:00:09.43\00:00:13.33
The Bible.
00:00:13.33\00:00:16.96
Still relevant in
today's complex world.
00:00:16.96\00:00:22.03
It is written sharing
hope around the globe.
00:00:22.90\00:00:28.80
It seems hard to deny
the fascination that exists
00:00:37.06\00:00:39.23
in today's society
with the subject of death.
00:00:39.23\00:00:41.90
Look in the media -
books and television programs
00:00:41.90\00:00:45.50
abound on the subject
of death and the hereafter.
00:00:45.50\00:00:49.16
And people consume them like
they're going out of fashion.
00:00:49.16\00:00:53.36
In 1997, a new program began
airing on what was then a new
00:00:53.36\00:00:57.43
television network,
drawing as many as six million
00:00:57.43\00:01:01.36
viewers per episode.
00:01:01.36\00:01:03.13
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
was the story of a teenage girl
00:01:03.13\00:01:07.50
who battled against
demons and vampires.
00:01:07.50\00:01:11.73
Vampires are said to be corpses
that periodically come back
00:01:11.73\00:01:14.76
from the dead to
disturb or harass the living
00:01:14.76\00:01:18.13
- and Buffy went toe-to-toe
against the best of them,
00:01:18.13\00:01:21.50
as well as against ghosts
and zombies, other 'things'
00:01:21.50\00:01:26.50
that are said to be
'back from the dead'.
00:01:26.50\00:01:29.40
In recent years, vampires
have become big business.
00:01:29.40\00:01:32.53
Huge business, in fact.
00:01:32.53\00:01:34.56
In 2005, the first of the
series of four Twilight books
00:01:34.56\00:01:40.26
was released telling
the story of a teenage girl
00:01:40.26\00:01:43.50
from Forks, Washington who
fell in love with a 104 year
00:01:43.50\00:01:48.43
old vampire.
00:01:48.43\00:01:50.93
In 5 years more than 120 million
copies of the Twilight books
00:01:50.93\00:01:54.80
were sold
worldwide and they spent more
00:01:54.80\00:01:56.86
than 200 weeks on the New
York Times best-seller lists.
00:01:56.86\00:02:00.83
They were extremely popular
with children, even young
00:02:00.83\00:02:03.83
children, in spite of
the fact that the books were,
00:02:03.83\00:02:06.66
in the words of one
writer, one long, bodice-ripping
00:02:06.66\00:02:10.83
romance.
00:02:10.83\00:02:12.20
Maybe that's a
story or a discussion
00:02:12.20\00:02:14.40
for another time.
00:02:14.40\00:02:15.40
The author of the Twilight books
said that idea for the series
00:02:15.40\00:02:19.46
of books came to her in a dream.
00:02:19.46\00:02:23.76
Now, of course, the Twilight
books aren't the first books
00:02:23.76\00:02:26.96
written on the subject
of somebody coming back
00:02:26.96\00:02:29.86
from the dead.
00:02:29.86\00:02:30.90
Years ago, Emily
Bronte wrote Wuthering Heights
00:02:30.90\00:02:33.80
had Wuthering Heights
had Healthcliff communicating
00:02:33.80\00:02:37.06
with the ghost of Catherine.
00:02:37.06\00:02:39.63
Go back even further.
00:02:39.63\00:02:40.63
Shakespeare's writings
featured ghosts and spirits
00:02:40.63\00:02:44.36
left and right.
00:02:44.36\00:02:45.66
It's like Shakespeare
never met a ghost he didn't like
00:02:45.66\00:02:48.26
or at least didn't
want to write about.
00:02:48.26\00:02:50.63
But what we have got
today are the mainstreaming
00:02:50.63\00:02:54.00
of books, and movies about
the subject that has become
00:02:54.00\00:02:59.80
cultural phenomena.
00:02:59.80\00:03:02.23
Now someone is going to ask:
Is there a problem with that?
00:03:02.23\00:03:05.80
From a Biblical point
of view, you bet there is.
00:03:05.80\00:03:09.20
I will tell you what the
problem is in just a moment.
00:03:09.20\00:03:14.20
It is written is dedicated
to sharing the gospel around
00:03:14.20\00:03:16.20
the world.
00:03:16.20\00:03:17.20
To discover more about
It Is Written, I invite you
00:03:17.20\00:03:19.73
to visit our website
itiswritten.com and browse
00:03:19.73\00:03:23.13
the dozens of pages
that describe what we do
00:03:23.13\00:03:25.80
and how we do it.
00:03:25.80\00:03:26.90
Let's get to know
each other better.
00:03:26.90\00:03:28.73
Visit our website
itiswritten.com today.
00:03:28.73\00:03:32.36
There is no doubt an increasing
fascination in society today
00:03:33.80\00:03:36.66
with death, and life
after death, and the occult.
00:03:36.66\00:03:42.43
Many people are more than
happy to part with their hard
00:03:42.43\00:03:45.60
earned money to be entertained
by books and television programs
00:03:45.60\00:03:49.33
and movies which
deal with subjects which,
00:03:49.33\00:03:52.90
when you really think
about it - are pretty bizarre.
00:03:52.90\00:03:55.90
A teenage girl fighting
off vampires and werewolves?
00:03:55.90\00:03:59.53
That was the theme of a
very successful television
00:03:59.53\00:04:03.76
program.
00:04:03.76\00:04:04.33
Well what about the idea
of a young girl barely out
00:04:04.33\00:04:06.70
of her teens getting...
00:04:06.70\00:04:08.40
intimate with a vampire?
00:04:08.40\00:04:11.30
That idea was behind one
of the most successful series
00:04:11.30\00:04:14.53
of books in all
of literary history.
00:04:14.53\00:04:18.53
Hollywood has been
playing to society's fascination
00:04:18.53\00:04:21.16
with death and the
beyond for decades.
00:04:21.16\00:04:23.66
In 1990 the late Patrick
Swayze starred in the movie
00:04:23.66\00:04:28.10
Ghost, which promoted
the idea of a dead man coming
00:04:28.10\00:04:32.30
back and communicating
with his grieving wife.
00:04:32.30\00:04:35.23
Now I am not suggesting that
that movie was a documentary
00:04:35.23\00:04:39.63
or was supposed to portray
life as it really is, but what
00:04:39.63\00:04:43.90
it did succeed in doing
is causing millions of people
00:04:43.90\00:04:48.96
to contemplate the idea
of communicating with people
00:04:48.96\00:04:53.66
who have passed away.
00:04:53.66\00:04:55.06
That same year, 1990,
another movie was released,
00:04:55.06\00:04:58.43
this one featuring a host
of up-and-coming hot, young
00:04:58.43\00:05:01.70
Hollywood stars.
00:05:01.70\00:05:03.16
Now the idea behind this
movie, flatliners, was this:
00:05:03.16\00:05:06.43
a group of medical students
experimented with experiencing
00:05:06.43\00:05:09.93
clinical death and
then they were brought
00:05:09.93\00:05:13.00
back from clinical
death so they could talk about
00:05:13.00\00:05:16.93
what death was like.
00:05:16.93\00:05:18.66
Here is what you
are going to find.
00:05:18.66\00:05:22.30
More people than ever before
have encouraged, have been
00:05:22.30\00:05:27.00
educated to think about
this idea that it is possible
00:05:27.00\00:05:30.66
to communicate with
those who are dead and gone
00:05:30.66\00:05:33.50
on to the other side.
00:05:33.50\00:05:35.63
Here is something
else that is true.
00:05:35.63\00:05:38.20
I'm pretty sure you
know this from experience.
00:05:38.20\00:05:40.33
There are many, many,
many people who would be very
00:05:40.33\00:05:43.86
uncomfortable in a
situation like this - they'd be
00:05:43.86\00:05:47.20
uncomfortable in a cemetery.
00:05:47.20\00:05:50.73
Why?
00:05:50.73\00:05:51.73
Because they have
watched programs, read books,
00:05:51.73\00:05:54.20
seen movies about people
that come back from the dead
00:05:54.20\00:05:57.46
or about ghosts or
gouls or goblins or vampires,
00:05:57.46\00:06:00.96
the werewolves and
this sort of thing.
00:06:00.96\00:06:03.90
Are the people here in
this cemetery really going
00:06:03.90\00:06:06.16
to hurt anybody?
00:06:06.16\00:06:07.16
I think we both know that
the answer to that question
00:06:07.16\00:06:10.40
is "No!"
00:06:10.40\00:06:11.40
I've told people many
times before, "it's not the dead
00:06:11.40\00:06:14.00
you need to worry
about, it's t he living.
00:06:14.00\00:06:16.80
But there has been an education
process that has gone on,
00:06:16.80\00:06:21.16
causing people to become
very comfortable with the idea
00:06:21.16\00:06:24.43
that people really do
come back from the dead.
00:06:24.43\00:06:28.50
Now let's consider this
from a Biblical perspective.
00:06:28.50\00:06:32.63
Does the Bible comment on it?
00:06:32.63\00:06:34.63
Oh yes, the Bible does.
00:06:34.63\00:06:35.63
We read now from Job 7:9 & 10.
00:06:35.63\00:06:40.66
"As the cloud is consumed
and vanisheth away, so he
00:06:40.66\00:06:45.16
that goeth down to the
grave shall come up no more.
00:06:45.16\00:06:48.60
He shall return no more
to his house, neither shall
00:06:48.60\00:06:52.26
his place know him any more."
00:06:52.26\00:06:55.20
So if we're going to take what
the Bible says on this subject
00:06:55.20\00:06:58.13
as the guide for what
we believe, we would have
00:06:58.13\00:07:00.96
to conclude that the
dead do not come back to visit
00:07:00.96\00:07:04.63
the living and they certainly
don't come back to suck blood
00:07:04.63\00:07:08.50
out of the necks of
unsuspecting victims.
00:07:08.50\00:07:11.76
Yet society is fascinated
with this idea of the dead
00:07:11.76\00:07:15.56
coming back to visit the living.
00:07:15.56\00:07:17.56
Where did this
allure of death come from?
00:07:17.56\00:07:21.86
There are some societies
who embrace this idea very, very
00:07:21.86\00:07:25.23
enthusiastically.
00:07:25.23\00:07:26.56
Every year November the 2nd
is in Mexico known as "Dia de
00:07:26.56\00:07:32.23
los Muertos", or,
the Day of the Dead.
00:07:32.23\00:07:36.13
It's treated somewhat
like a National Holiday.
00:07:36.13\00:07:38.53
It's held very close, or
it's related to All Saints'
00:07:38.53\00:07:42.20
Day and All Souls' Day.
00:07:42.20\00:07:44.60
Altars are erected
where offerings are left
00:07:44.60\00:07:47.30
for the spirits of dead people.
00:07:47.30\00:07:49.73
Candied skulls are
made and left and eaten.
00:07:49.73\00:07:54.06
Various food and drink
items are presented as offerings
00:07:54.06\00:07:58.36
for those who have
departed and passed over
00:07:58.36\00:08:01.03
to the other side.
00:08:01.03\00:08:02.86
The roots of the Dia de
los Muertos go back hundreds
00:08:02.86\00:08:06.23
or even thousands of years,
to the traditions practiced
00:08:06.23\00:08:09.50
by indigenous cultures.
00:08:09.50\00:08:11.90
Today, people
will visit cemeteries.
00:08:11.90\00:08:14.76
They will go down there in
the hope that their prayers
00:08:14.76\00:08:17.76
and conversations will be heard
by the spirits of the departed
00:08:17.76\00:08:22.83
who would then come
back and tarry and visit with
00:08:22.83\00:08:26.13
the living.
00:08:26.13\00:08:27.36
For a dead child, a gift
of a toy may be purchased
00:08:27.36\00:08:31.56
and given, maybe
alcohol will be bought as a gift
00:08:31.56\00:08:35.13
or an offering for a dead adult.
00:08:35.13\00:08:38.36
This homage to the dead
penetrates Mexican culture
00:08:38.36\00:08:42.73
so far that even
government-run schools
00:08:42.73\00:08:46.23
and government buildings
have small altars erected
00:08:46.23\00:08:49.60
in honor of Dia de los muertos.
00:08:49.60\00:08:53.06
Skulls and
skeletons are commonly seen.
00:08:53.06\00:08:56.13
It is believed that these
symbols can be used to honor
00:08:56.13\00:09:01.80
and pay respect to
those who have passed on.
00:09:01.80\00:09:06.40
But what was it Job said?
00:09:06.40\00:09:09.43
Job said: "The dead...do
not return no more to their
00:09:09.43\00:09:14.53
houses anymore."
00:09:14.53\00:09:15.83
So the Bible comes at
this subject from an altogether
00:09:15.83\00:09:21.00
different angle.
00:09:21.00\00:09:23.23
Now North of the border,
in the United States, there
00:09:23.23\00:09:26.73
is a different
annual homage to the dead.
00:09:26.73\00:09:30.93
So what is it with Halloween?
00:09:30.93\00:09:33.90
We'll talk about
that in just a moment.
00:09:33.90\00:09:36.90
In Matthew 4:4 the Word
of God says "It is written
00:09:39.36\00:09:42.96
'Man shall not live by
bread alone but by every word
00:09:42.96\00:09:46.46
that proceeds out
of the mouth of God'."
00:09:46.46\00:09:48.83
Every Word is a one minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:09:48.83\00:09:52.13
presented by Pastor
John Bradshaw and designed
00:09:52.13\00:09:55.03
especially for
busy people like you.
00:09:55.03\00:09:58.16
Look for Every Word on
selected networks or watch
00:09:58.16\00:10:02.83
it on-line everyday on
our website itiswritten.com.
00:10:02.83\00:10:06.46
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:10:06.46\00:10:09.53
Watch Every Word.
00:10:09.53\00:10:10.60
You'll be glad you did.
00:10:10.60\00:10:13.40
Death is a
pretty serious business.
00:10:13.40\00:10:16.20
It's also pretty ugly business.
00:10:16.20\00:10:18.86
Death causes people to
experience intensely painful
00:10:18.86\00:10:23.40
emotions.
00:10:23.40\00:10:24.73
Anguish.
00:10:24.73\00:10:25.73
Grief.
00:10:25.73\00:10:26.73
Death brings a
whole lot of difficulty.
00:10:26.73\00:10:30.16
And there is a reason for that.
00:10:30.16\00:10:32.16
When God created Adam and
Eve back in the beginning,
00:10:32.16\00:10:35.03
he created them with the idea
that they would live forever.
00:10:35.03\00:10:39.86
Death was not a part
of God's original plan.
00:10:39.86\00:10:44.26
Adam and Eve were created
to experience joy and peace
00:10:44.26\00:10:48.16
and gladness and
happiness and contentment.
00:10:48.16\00:10:52.30
Death came into the picture
as an intruder, and brought
00:10:52.30\00:10:56.50
emotions that were
foreign to the human family.
00:10:56.50\00:10:59.40
Emotions that today, we
still wrestle with some real
00:10:59.40\00:11:04.20
difficulty.
00:11:04.20\00:11:05.20
You see, God told Adam
and Eve that everything would
00:11:05.20\00:11:07.36
work out if they
simply followed his perfect
00:11:07.36\00:11:10.36
prescription for a happy life.
00:11:10.36\00:11:12.90
He said in the Garden of
Eden they could do anything
00:11:12.90\00:11:15.20
they wanted, pretty much,
and eat absolutely anything
00:11:15.20\00:11:17.53
they liked, except for the
fruit that grew on the tree
00:11:17.53\00:11:20.56
of the knowledge
of good and evil.
00:11:20.56\00:11:22.56
God said "if you eat
that, then you will die."
00:11:22.56\00:11:25.60
Death will come.
00:11:25.60\00:11:27.10
Today, we are still
bearing the consequences of what
00:11:27.10\00:11:32.36
Adam and Eve did long
ago in the Garden of Eden.
00:11:32.36\00:11:35.23
What they did proved
Paul's words to be true.
00:11:35.23\00:11:38.80
Paul said" The
wages of sin is death."
00:11:38.80\00:11:43.73
So what, about the
subject of Halloween, which
00:11:43.73\00:11:46.96
glorifies death and
makes death almost something
00:11:46.96\00:11:51.43
to be laughed at, enjoyed,
something of sport and fun?
00:11:51.43\00:11:56.86
You see the houses in the United
States, and perhaps in some
00:11:56.86\00:11:59.86
other parts of the
world, towards the end of every
00:11:59.86\00:12:01.93
October.
00:12:01.93\00:12:03.03
Now, you've got the
run of the mill Halloween
00:12:03.03\00:12:05.03
decorations: the
jack-o-lanterns -
00:12:05.03\00:12:07.06
they're the carved
out pumpkins - and then
00:12:07.06\00:12:09.13
maybe some fake
cobwebs on the sides of houses
00:12:09.13\00:12:12.06
or on doors,
something like that.
00:12:12.06\00:12:14.26
But then you've got
the homes that really.
00:12:14.26\00:12:16.53
And on the front yard
there are fake caskets
00:12:16.53\00:12:20.03
and there are tombstones on
the lawn and there might even
00:12:20.03\00:12:23.90
be life-size witches hanging
from trees or fixed to the
00:12:23.90\00:12:27.16
sides of homes.
00:12:27.16\00:12:28.16
I have seen them up on roofs.
00:12:28.16\00:12:30.10
Halloween celebrates
that idea that there is life
00:12:30.10\00:12:33.23
after death in another
dimension on the other side.
00:12:33.23\00:12:37.50
Halloween celebrates the
idea of the dead coming back
00:12:37.50\00:12:41.80
and not only communicating
with but bothering those
00:12:41.80\00:12:45.60
that are living.
00:12:45.60\00:12:47.20
Is that really something
that you think God smiles
00:12:47.20\00:12:49.80
upon and blesses?
00:12:49.80\00:12:50.80
Is that something that
Bible-believing Christians
00:12:50.80\00:12:53.30
could really,
conscientiously participate
00:12:53.30\00:12:55.86
in, knowing that they
have got the blessing of God?
00:12:55.86\00:13:00.70
I'd like you to consider this.
00:13:00.70\00:13:04.20
Halloween really
muddies the Biblical waters.
00:13:04.20\00:13:09.46
I'll tell you why.
00:13:09.46\00:13:10.46
Halloween celebrates
the idea that people live
00:13:10.46\00:13:14.80
on after death, but
what does the Bible say?
00:13:14.80\00:13:19.86
Consider these allusions
in Bible verses from the Old
00:13:19.86\00:13:22.96
Testament.
00:13:22.96\00:13:23.96
You will read
about King "so and so".
00:13:23.96\00:13:25.96
He lived and died and
then what does the Bible say?
00:13:25.96\00:13:28.16
He slept with his fathers.
00:13:28.16\00:13:30.50
This other king lived,
died, was buried and he slept
00:13:30.50\00:13:33.53
with his fathers.
00:13:33.53\00:13:34.53
The Bible uses that
phrase in relation to the kings
00:13:34.53\00:13:37.63
many times.
00:13:37.63\00:13:39.80
Now remember the
story of Stephen, the martyr
00:13:39.80\00:13:43.13
of the book of
Acts, right around
00:13:43.13\00:13:45.13
the end of Acts Chapter 7,
beginning of Acts Chapter 8.
00:13:45.13\00:13:48.66
Stephen was stoned with stones.
00:13:48.66\00:13:50.96
The Bible says " after he
had spoken with God, he fell
00:13:50.96\00:13:54.90
asleep."
00:13:54.90\00:13:56.20
Now, what did that mean?
00:13:56.20\00:13:57.56
You know that he didn't
fall asleep, that "I'll see you
00:13:57.56\00:14:00.26
in the morning sleep".
00:14:00.26\00:14:01.60
This was a sleep that you
would call a sleep of death,
00:14:01.60\00:14:07.13
where Stephen would sleep
in his grave until Jesus comes
00:14:07.13\00:14:12.46
and wakes him up
in the resurrection.
00:14:12.46\00:14:15.33
You know, the Bible says
things like this: "I would
00:14:15.33\00:14:18.00
not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them
00:14:18.00\00:14:22.06
which are asleep."
00:14:22.06\00:14:25.26
What does the Bible
mean when it says that?
00:14:25.26\00:14:28.13
It certainly doesn't
mean a person lived and died
00:14:28.13\00:14:31.23
and went to heaven.
00:14:31.23\00:14:32.76
How can you be
sleeping when you are in heaven?
00:14:32.76\00:14:35.76
Ah, and somebody is going
to say - the body is sleeping
00:14:35.76\00:14:37.76
but the spirit is in ......
00:14:37.76\00:14:39.66
Do you know what
the Word of God teaches?
00:14:39.66\00:14:42.10
The Word of God teaches
that a person is a combination
00:14:42.10\00:14:45.36
of body plus breath.
00:14:45.36\00:14:47.86
You go back to Genesis 2.
00:14:47.86\00:14:49.56
God made the body Adam and
then he breathed the breath
00:14:49.56\00:14:54.26
of life into his
nostrils and the Bible says Adam
00:14:54.26\00:14:57.66
became a living soul.
00:14:57.66\00:14:59.33
The Word of God does not
say God gave Adam a soul, which
00:14:59.33\00:15:04.36
then would depart
his body when he died.
00:15:04.36\00:15:08.20
Instead, the Bible says
Adam, like everybody else
00:15:08.20\00:15:11.43
from Adam down to here,
with the exception of Enoch
00:15:11.43\00:15:14.33
and Elijah, who were
taken straight to heaven ...
00:15:14.33\00:15:16.43
everybody else
lives and dies and sleeps.
00:15:16.43\00:15:20.96
A dreamless sleep.
00:15:20.96\00:15:22.93
Sleeping in the grave or
wherever the final resting
00:15:22.93\00:15:25.80
place might be,
waiting for the resurrection.
00:15:25.80\00:15:30.36
Have you ever wondered
why there would even be
00:15:30.36\00:15:33.83
a resurrection if people,
when they die, go to heaven
00:15:33.83\00:15:38.50
or hell or
purgatory or some other place?
00:15:38.50\00:15:42.16
I remember as a
child, wrestling with that.
00:15:42.16\00:15:44.60
Standing at the
graveside while someone is being
00:15:44.60\00:15:47.83
buried and the officiant
saying, "Well, now we commit
00:15:47.83\00:15:50.86
this person's body
to grave where it waits
00:15:50.86\00:15:53.66
for the resurrection.
00:15:53.66\00:15:54.66
But back in the church,
that same person celebrating
00:15:54.66\00:15:57.73
the funeral service had
said "now we can all be glad
00:15:57.73\00:16:02.36
because Mr. or Mrs. So
and So, Brother or Sister So
00:16:02.36\00:16:05.53
and So is in heaven."
00:16:05.53\00:16:07.80
How can they be in heaven
and in the grave at exactly
00:16:07.80\00:16:10.23
the same time?
00:16:10.23\00:16:11.66
No.
00:16:11.66\00:16:12.66
The Bible says that a
person lives, dies and sleeps.
00:16:12.66\00:16:18.56
A dreamless, peaceful sleep
waiting for the resurrection.
00:16:18.56\00:16:23.26
That's the only
interpretation of what
00:16:23.26\00:16:25.43
happens in death that
can possibly make sense.
00:16:25.43\00:16:28.56
If people go to heaven
or go to hell when they die
00:16:28.56\00:16:31.40
or that makes communication
with the dead possible,
00:16:31.40\00:16:34.00
that breathes life
into Halloween celebration
00:16:34.00\00:16:37.83
and one says,
well, maybe that's kind
00:16:37.83\00:16:40.03
of what happens.
00:16:40.03\00:16:41.13
But no.
00:16:41.13\00:16:42.13
God has got a better plan.
00:16:42.13\00:16:43.70
His people live.
00:16:43.70\00:16:45.00
They die in faith in Christ.
00:16:45.00\00:16:46.50
They sleep the sleep of death
and wake up in the resurrection
00:16:46.50\00:16:50.73
when Jesus comes
back to take them home.
00:16:50.73\00:16:54.00
In recent years, the idea
of communicating with the dead
00:16:54.00\00:16:57.76
has gotten a big
boost through the resurgents
00:16:57.76\00:17:03.13
of spiritist mediums.
00:17:03.13\00:17:05.90
We'll talk about
them in just a moment.
00:17:05.90\00:17:08.90
Perhaps something in
today's program has sparked your
00:17:09.90\00:17:12.13
interest in greater Bible study.
00:17:12.13\00:17:14.13
We invite you to visit
our website itiswritten.com
00:17:14.13\00:17:17.60
where you will find a
host of inspirational resources
00:17:17.60\00:17:21.00
including free Bible study
guides, there's also a complete
00:17:21.00\00:17:24.03
archive of past television
programs and special video
00:17:24.03\00:17:26.86
seminars that you can
view on-line or download.
00:17:26.86\00:17:29.80
Discover more at itiswritten.com
The subject of death
00:17:29.80\00:17:35.60
and life after death
really seems to have gone
00:17:35.60\00:17:38.60
mainstream in
the last few years.
00:17:38.60\00:17:41.00
The media, and I am
referring to books, movies
00:17:41.00\00:17:44.26
and television have really
strongly promoted the idea
00:17:44.26\00:17:47.50
that spirits from the
other side can come back
00:17:47.50\00:17:50.16
and communicate with the living.
00:17:50.16\00:17:52.40
And something else that
has gone strongly mainstream
00:17:52.40\00:17:55.93
in the last few years is
the popularity of spiritist
00:17:55.93\00:18:00.83
Mediums.
00:18:00.83\00:18:01.83
People who claim to be
able to put the living in touch
00:18:01.83\00:18:05.46
with the dead.
00:18:05.46\00:18:07.30
What a comforting thought.
00:18:07.30\00:18:08.96
A grieving, lonely
spouse might be able to receive
00:18:08.96\00:18:12.20
a visit from a departed spouse.
00:18:12.20\00:18:14.26
Maybe surviving children
can receive communications
00:18:14.26\00:18:17.26
from their departed parents
or living parents might be able
00:18:17.26\00:18:20.76
to receive visits
from their dead children.
00:18:20.76\00:18:23.46
It's easy to see how
that thought might be
00:18:23.46\00:18:25.83
comforting to some.
00:18:25.83\00:18:27.93
I was watching a popular
television program a few years
00:18:27.93\00:18:30.20
ago in which a well-known
spiritist medium offered to put
00:18:30.20\00:18:35.20
somebody in contact
with her departed sister.
00:18:35.20\00:18:37.60
This somebody was
Denise Brown and her departed
00:18:37.60\00:18:42.23
sister was Nicole Brown
Simpson who had been the wife
00:18:42.23\00:18:46.56
of O J Simpson and who
had been tragically murdered
00:18:46.56\00:18:50.13
a few years before.
00:18:50.13\00:18:52.13
The crowd watched on with
real interest as the medium
00:18:52.13\00:18:55.76
started to, in just a
short amount of time bring
00:18:55.76\00:18:59.13
messages purportedly
from Denise's dead sister.
00:18:59.13\00:19:04.80
Denise was very impressed.
00:19:04.80\00:19:07.40
She said that the medium
was bringing back messages
00:19:07.40\00:19:10.16
that could only
have come from Nicole.
00:19:10.16\00:19:12.36
Some of the
details were very personal,
00:19:12.36\00:19:14.70
known only to Nicole
and the surviving Denise.
00:19:14.70\00:19:19.73
But how could that be when
the Bible says that the dead
00:19:19.73\00:19:24.23
do not
communicate with the living.
00:19:24.23\00:19:26.60
As a matter of fact,
the prophet Isaiah stated
00:19:26.60\00:19:29.06
strongly that God is
against people communicating
00:19:29.06\00:19:33.46
with the dead.
00:19:33.46\00:19:34.60
He said that God was
against people going to those
00:19:34.60\00:19:37.86
that have familiar spirits.
00:19:37.86\00:19:39.60
That would be going to
people who are spiritist
00:19:39.60\00:19:43.40
mediums.
00:19:43.40\00:19:45.00
Again and again, Denise
said: Well, what I'm hearing
00:19:45.00\00:19:48.66
could only come from Nicole.
00:19:48.66\00:19:53.40
She is the only one
who could have known that.
00:19:53.40\00:19:55.40
The crowd looked as
though they wanted to know
00:19:55.40\00:19:57.90
more and more.
00:19:57.90\00:19:58.90
And I am referring
to the studio audience.
00:19:58.90\00:20:00.90
Were they ever impressed.
00:20:00.90\00:20:02.46
That must be
Nicole, Denise said.
00:20:02.46\00:20:05.83
Only she knows that.
00:20:05.83\00:20:07.43
Well, what I couldn't
figure is that if she was really
00:20:07.43\00:20:09.46
Nicole, how come Nicole
couldn't tell Denise whether
00:20:09.46\00:20:13.06
O.J was the real killer or not?
00:20:13.06\00:20:15.06
So, let's ask the question:
If communicating with the dead
00:20:19.96\00:20:24.13
is something that
God does not sanction,
00:20:24.13\00:20:26.96
can this communication
really have come from God?
00:20:26.96\00:20:31.46
If God has outlawed human
beings speaking to the dead
00:20:31.46\00:20:36.16
via the instrument of a spirit
medium, could this really have
00:20:36.16\00:20:41.20
been something that
came with God's blessing?
00:20:41.20\00:20:44.03
You know, I've read
where one spirit medium said,
00:20:44.03\00:20:46.66
"My work is very powerful.
00:20:46.66\00:20:49.50
It is God's work."
00:20:49.50\00:20:50.93
Now, if you're not familiar
with what the Bible says
00:20:50.93\00:20:54.40
about this
subject, you might think
00:20:54.40\00:20:56.46
it is God's work.
00:20:56.46\00:20:57.90
But if you are familiar
with what the Bible says,
00:20:57.90\00:21:01.70
you might have to come
to a different conclusion.
00:21:01.70\00:21:04.70
And what
conclusion might that be?
00:21:04.70\00:21:08.13
I think we need to admit
that the Devil is more than
00:21:08.13\00:21:12.53
capable of communicating
with the minds of people
00:21:12.53\00:21:15.43
and of pressing them
with certain thoughts
00:21:15.43\00:21:18.26
and certain ideas.
00:21:18.26\00:21:20.23
You know, one of the
movies I mentioned earlier
00:21:20.23\00:21:22.23
in today's program
had a promotional line
00:21:22.23\00:21:24.70
which said, Some
lines shouldn't be crossed.
00:21:24.70\00:21:29.60
And that's very good advice.
00:21:29.60\00:21:30.76
Some lines shouldn't be crossed.
00:21:30.76\00:21:34.00
While vampires, werewolves
and zombies aren't true,
00:21:34.00\00:21:39.30
aren't real and are
simply the product overactive
00:21:39.30\00:21:43.23
imaginations, do you
think it's safe or right that we
00:21:43.23\00:21:47.20
should treat them
like harmless playthings?
00:21:47.20\00:21:50.66
If people don't really
come back from the dead,
00:21:50.66\00:21:54.60
if people don't really
communicate with the other
00:21:54.60\00:21:57.30
side, if that's not good,
if that's not right, if that
00:21:57.30\00:22:00.66
doesn't have God's blessing,
is that the sort of thing
00:22:00.66\00:22:04.96
that we want to
make our entertainment?
00:22:04.96\00:22:07.43
Is it really appropriate
that people ought to be
00:22:07.43\00:22:09.80
reading books,
watching movies and television
00:22:09.80\00:22:12.76
programs that deal with those
themes and treat those untrue,
00:22:12.76\00:22:17.60
unbiblical ideas as though
they are accurate and right?
00:22:17.60\00:22:22.46
Is that the sort of
things we want to bring
00:22:22.46\00:22:24.56
into our minds?
00:22:24.56\00:22:25.70
It's hard to imagine
that that would be appropriate
00:22:25.70\00:22:29.00
or healthy.
00:22:29.00\00:22:30.00
It's hard to imagine
that it would be harmless.
00:22:30.00\00:22:33.80
And it's pretty easy
to imagine that it might
00:22:33.80\00:22:36.96
be harmful.
00:22:36.96\00:22:39.46
It's pretty hard to imagine
that vampires are God's gift
00:22:39.46\00:22:43.46
to the literary world, not
so hard to imagine that they
00:22:43.46\00:22:47.63
might have sprung
from some other place.
00:22:47.63\00:22:51.03
Now look - I'm not suggesting
that if somebody were to read
00:22:51.03\00:22:53.36
one of the Twilight
books they are automatically
00:22:53.36\00:22:55.46
going straight away
turn into the devil.
00:22:55.46\00:22:57.83
That's not what I
am suggesting at all.
00:22:57.83\00:23:01.00
I know that people want
to be entertained and I know
00:23:01.00\00:23:03.00
that people want to
have fun, but what the Bible
00:23:03.00\00:23:05.46
is suggesting is that it
is not harmless for us to
00:23:05.46\00:23:09.16
entertain ideas that are
directly opposed to the truths
00:23:09.16\00:23:12.40
of God's word.
00:23:12.40\00:23:13.40
It isn't safe for us to
get away from the platform,
00:23:13.40\00:23:17.46
the strong foundation
of the Bible and then go
00:23:17.46\00:23:20.93
and live our lives entertaining
ideas and feeding our minds
00:23:20.93\00:23:25.96
with ideas that don't
come from God but instead
00:23:25.96\00:23:31.10
come from the enemy.
00:23:31.10\00:23:32.26
and wander onto ground
that God does not bless.
00:23:32.26\00:23:34.70
You see, there's One
who conquered death, and His
00:23:34.70\00:23:37.16
name is Jesus.
00:23:37.16\00:23:38.16
If we are going to be
celebrating anybody at all
00:23:38.16\00:23:41.43
coming up out of the
grave, we ought to be rejoicing
00:23:41.43\00:23:44.40
today that Jesus has
triumphed over the grave,
00:23:44.40\00:23:47.73
that he has come out of
the grave and that today
00:23:47.73\00:23:50.16
he is not dead but he is alive.
00:23:50.16\00:23:53.26
Anything else that you
might be celebrating regarding
00:23:53.26\00:23:56.10
somebody coming back from
the dead, that's a deception
00:23:56.10\00:24:00.20
and that's a counterfeit.
00:24:00.20\00:24:02.36
The Bible teaches that
death and the grave will one day
00:24:02.36\00:24:07.26
be cast into the lake of fire.
00:24:07.26\00:24:09.76
Revelation 21:4 says
this: "God shall wipe away all
00:24:09.76\00:24:15.36
tears from their eyes.
00:24:15.36\00:24:16.70
And there shall be no
more death, neither sorrow,
00:24:16.70\00:24:22.26
nor crying."
00:24:22.26\00:24:23.86
(Rev 21:4.) When Jesus
died on a cross 2000 years ago,
00:24:23.86\00:24:28.20
he died to pay the
penalty for your sins and mine.
00:24:28.20\00:24:32.56
Jesus died after
having lived a perfect life.
00:24:32.56\00:24:35.90
And he died and then says
to us: If you will accept me
00:24:35.90\00:24:39.43
you're your life, if you
will trust me then my death
00:24:39.43\00:24:44.30
will stand in the place
of your death and I will give
00:24:44.30\00:24:48.33
you as a gift the
everlasting life, not that
00:24:48.33\00:24:53.50
you deserved, but that I
deserved, I will give it to
00:24:53.50\00:24:56.83
you as a gift so that
you can live with me forever.
00:24:56.83\00:25:00.63
That's a gift God
wants you to accept.
00:25:00.63\00:25:06.13
You can have it today.
00:25:06.13\00:25:07.46
The demons, the zombies,
the vampires, the ghosts,
00:25:07.46\00:25:15.13
the goblins-- Distractions.
00:25:15.13\00:25:18.70
Designed very purposefully
to lead us away from
00:25:18.70\00:25:22.80
the wonderful
truths of the Bible.
00:25:22.80\00:25:25.16
Yes, somebody
came out of the grave.
00:25:25.16\00:25:27.46
Jesus.
00:25:27.46\00:25:28.46
He went to heaven where
he was at the right hand
00:25:28.46\00:25:32.43
of the Father, interceding
for people like you and me.
00:25:32.43\00:25:36.43
And one day he is coming back.
00:25:36.43\00:25:39.50
He is coming back for you.
00:25:39.50\00:25:41.60
He wants to take you with
him to be with him forever.
00:25:41.60\00:25:45.80
By choosing Jesus today,
you're saying "Count me in.
00:25:45.80\00:25:49.26
I'd like to trust in you.
00:25:49.26\00:25:50.46
I thank you Jesus, that
you are the resurrection
00:25:50.46\00:25:54.50
and the life.
00:25:54.50\00:25:56.00
Let's pray together.
00:25:56.00\00:25:57.00
Father in heaven, we
thank you today for the truth
00:25:57.00\00:26:01.80
that Jesus has triumphed over
death, that Jesus has conquered
00:26:01.80\00:26:06.33
the grave and that one day
there will be no more death
00:26:06.33\00:26:10.56
and we will be able to live
in a place where there is life,
00:26:10.56\00:26:15.90
where there is
life and only life
00:26:15.90\00:26:19.60
forever. Lord, by
your grace thank you
00:26:19.60\00:26:20.86
that we can be part of
that and we pray in Jesus'
00:26:20.86\00:26:23.33
name, Amen.
00:26:23.33\00:26:25.73
Perhaps our program
today has touched your heart
00:26:28.56\00:26:30.73
and impressed you with
a personal need for deeper
00:26:30.73\00:26:32.76
Bible study.
00:26:32.76\00:26:33.93
If you desire to
listen to God and follow where
00:26:33.93\00:26:36.10
he leads, we've got a wonderful
resource that can help you
00:26:36.10\00:26:39.10
do that in a systemic
way, the Discover Bible Guides.
00:26:39.10\00:26:43.50
These study guides will
take you through the essential
00:26:43.50\00:26:45.63
truths taught in Scripture.
00:26:45.63\00:26:46.70
They give you the big
picture showing how it all
00:26:46.70\00:26:49.90
fits together.
00:26:49.90\00:26:51.16
The Discover Bible Guides
are a wonderful way for you
00:26:51.16\00:26:53.90
to become grounded in the
Word of God and to see how
00:26:53.90\00:26:56.80
Jesus Christ relates to
all the areas of our lives.
00:26:56.80\00:27:00.83
Please call or write us
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00:27:00.83\00:27:03.66
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00:27:03.66\00:27:05.70
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00:27:07.70\00:27:09.36
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00:27:12.43\00:27:16.60
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00:27:16.60\00:27:19.13
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00:27:34.20\00:27:40.06
Thank you for your
letters and continued support.
00:27:40.06\00:27:43.93
Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:45.76\00:27:47.13
I hope you'll join
me again next time.
00:27:47.13\00:27:49.26
And until then, please
Iremember: It is written,
00:27:49.26\00:27:52.26
Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word
00:27:52.26\00:27:56.23
that proceeds
from the mouth of God.
00:27:56.23\00:28:00.06