It has stood the test of time.
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God's book.
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The Bible.
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Still relevant in
today's complex world.
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It is written sharing
hope around the globe.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me
today on It Is Written.
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Most people, when they
hear the name Rockefeller,
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think of a very rich
American family, or maybe
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the Rockefeller Center in
New York City, which is home
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to such famous places
as Radio City Music Hall
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and Christie's, the
world's largest auction house.
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Yet for many years the
name Rockefeller was hated
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and despised, it was a
symbol of corporate greed where
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the more powerful sweep
away the weaker and acquire
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more and more and more
for themselves--no matter
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who got crushed along the way.
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No wonder.
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The founder of the
dynasty, John D. Rockefeller,
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started in the oil business
in Cleveland during the 1800s,
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and--through a series of
backroom deals he created
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the monster
monopoly of Standard Oil.
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Because it was so
large, Standard Oil could cut
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prices, forcing all
competitors either to sell
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to it or go bankrupt, in which
case Rockefeller would simply
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buy up the ruined
company at discount rates.
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Rockefeller would come to
his competitors, show them
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his own books, show them
the financial behemoth that
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they were up against--and
then make them an offer.
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If they refused, he
simply put them out of business
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and then get
their company anyway.
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He was ruthless.
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He once told his brother
Frank, who had been working
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for a competing oil company:
We are going to buy out all
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the refiners in Cleveland.
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We will give
everyone a chance to come in.
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Those who
refuse will be crushed.
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If you don't sell
your company to us,
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it will be valueless.
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Frank refused, and John
D.--true his word--put his
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own brother's
company out of business!
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Now what adds an interesting
wrinkle to this sordid history
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is that John D. Rockefeller
was a church-going man.
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Even worse, he rationalized
his business dealings in,
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of all things--the
name of Christian charity!
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He had convinced himself
that he was actually doing good.
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He said that all these forced
acquisitions were the result
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of the most prosperous business
concern, his own, saying
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to the smaller and
less prosperous ones:
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We will stand in for the risks
and hazards of the refining
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business .
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Come with us and
we will do you good.
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We will undertake to
save you from the wrecks
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of the refining business.
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What others saw as cutthroat
and villainous business
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practices, John D. defined
as Christian benevolence.
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Now that would
be rationalization
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and presumption.
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Well I don t want to
judge John D. Rockefeller's
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heart, how he could
justify these nasty and vicious
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business practices in
the name of Christian charity
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really makes me wonder
This kind of thinking reminds me
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of a scene from a book
by Russian writer Fyodor
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Dostoyevsky, in which a
man cries out, God, forgive me
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for Christ's sake!
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and then cuts his friends
throat with a knife and steals
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his watch.
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Today we're going to take
a look at the Big Picture,
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really the biggest
picture you could imagine.
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It's clear that there's a
battle raging on Planet Earth.
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This is what the Bible writer
Paul was talking about when
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he said that we are not fighting
against flesh and blood,
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but against
principalities and powers.
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We're in a spiritual
battle, is what he was saying.
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Now let's see what we can learn
from Jesus and how he dealt
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with Satan, so that we can
do the same thing ourselves
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when faced with
similar struggles in this great
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controversy with a supernatural
cosmic power much greater
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than we are.
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Now, I can imagine
someone saying, Come on, John,
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a supernatural cosmic battle?
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Been watching too many
Star Wars movies or something?
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No, we re not talking about
the kind of journalism found
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in the tabloid headlines,
like the one which said,
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12 U.S. SENATORS
ARE SPACE ALIENS.
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(Someone said you can
tell that can't be true because
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the number is too low!)
You know, scientists working
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with the Search for
Extra Terrestrial Intelligence,
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believe that with the
billions of galaxies existing
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in the universe, there's a good
chance that other life might
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exist out there.
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The scientific term for
this is called astrobiology
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and it's a serious attempt
to seek out life in other parts
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of the universe.
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Now, with all due respect,
while these folks are aiming
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their radio telescopes into
the sky hoping for something
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from some far-away alien
civilization, the Bible teaches
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not only that extra-terrestrial
life exists, but that some
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of these beings are
HERE, on earth, and that some
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are hostile to us as well.
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Look at these verses, from
Revelation 12 and we ll begin
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with verse 7: And there was
war in heaven: Michael and his
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angels fought against
the dragon; and the dragon
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fought and his
angels, And prevailed not;
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neither was their place
found any more in heaven.
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And the great dragon was cast
out, that old serpent, called
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the Devil, and Satan,
which deceiveth the whole world:
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he was cast out into
the earth, and his angels
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were cast out with him
(Revelation 12:7-9, KJV).
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A war in heaven?!
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A war here on
earth, that s one thing.
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But in heaven?
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How can that be?
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The short answer
comes down to one word.
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Love.
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Because love is the overarching
moral principle that permeates
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God's universe, and love demands
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freedom.
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You can t love God, or
anyone, if you don't have
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moral freedom.
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You can't have love without
freedom any more than you
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could have a
triangle without three sides.
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Now in a moment, the man
who was married to a robot,
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and why that
didn't work out so well.
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???? Music ????
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It's time for today's
Bible question and here it is.
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People say that Jesus couldn't
have worked miracles such
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as raising the dead and
healing the blind as these
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things just aren't possible.
00:06:50.20\00:06:53.20
How can I believe in miracles?
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Good question.
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Let me try to
give you a good answer.
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There s a reason we call
them miracles, because they're
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extraordinary, they're
supernatural, not the sort
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of thing you can
explain by ordinary means.
00:07:05.46\00:07:08.33
So, can God do the extraordinary
and the supernatural?
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Keep in mind - this is
GOD we re talking about!
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If you asked me if my
own father could have worked
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miracles, I d
say no he couldn't.
00:07:18.53\00:07:20.36
Now his ability to read my mind
was sometimes pretty incredible,
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but miracles?
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No.
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But this is God!
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The One who framed the universe!
00:07:26.93\00:07:29.30
The One who created the world
and made people and created
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water and who made air.
00:07:32.76\00:07:35.30
If He can do that -
can t He work miracles?
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All of that was a miracle.
00:07:38.60\00:07:40.56
You might also want to consider
this: there are some things
00:07:40.56\00:07:43.83
in our world that
are pretty incredible.
00:07:43.83\00:07:46.70
We can t call them miracles
because we can explain them
00:07:46.70\00:07:48.73
scientifically, but,
for example, even the idea
00:07:48.73\00:07:52.43
that you can pick up a phone,
press some buttons, and then use
00:07:52.43\00:07:55.60
it to talk to somebody on
the other side of the world...
00:07:55.60\00:07:59.56
The idea that these pictures
you are looking at right now
00:07:59.56\00:08:02.30
are being transmitted to you.
00:08:02.30\00:08:04.46
Even people can do some
pretty incredible stuff.
00:08:04.46\00:08:08.06
Now if you want to put
upon God the limitations
00:08:08.06\00:08:11.56
of faulty, frail human beings,
and say God can't do what
00:08:11.56\00:08:15.96
we can't do - go
ahead and do that.
00:08:15.96\00:08:18.16
But if you believe there is
a God at all - the One who gave
00:08:18.16\00:08:20.93
life - you shouldn't be
too surprised that He can give
00:08:20.93\00:08:25.10
that life back.
00:08:25.10\00:08:26.13
Surely the One who made
eyesight can restore it.
00:08:26.13\00:08:30.63
From a human standpoint,
miracles are unlikely,
00:08:30.63\00:08:33.16
and even impossible.
00:08:33.16\00:08:34.70
But God is not a
mere human being.
00:08:34.70\00:08:38.10
God is God and he rides
high above the limitations
00:08:38.10\00:08:43.90
of humanity.
00:08:43.90\00:08:45.50
And how can you
believe in miracles?
00:08:45.50\00:08:47.76
You can believe in miracles
and God's miracle working
00:08:47.76\00:08:50.66
power by faith.
00:08:50.66\00:08:52.26
The Bible says they happened,
and your faith in the Bible
00:08:52.26\00:08:56.23
as believable and accurate
and trustworthy can lead you
00:08:56.23\00:09:01.03
to the place where you
can say, If the Bible says it,
00:09:01.03\00:09:03.56
I can believe it.
00:09:03.56\00:09:05.13
People try to
limit God sometimes.
00:09:05.13\00:09:06.83
But God isn't small.
00:09:06.83\00:09:08.36
He's big - and He's great.
00:09:08.36\00:09:11.86
Send your Bible questions
to us at www.ItIsWritten.com.
00:09:11.86\00:09:16.00
[Music] Eyes for
India is giving sight
00:09:16.00\00:09:21.00
to the blind and you can
be a part of this amazing
00:09:21.00\00:09:24.70
work that God is doing.
00:09:24.70\00:09:26.56
Fifteen million blind people
live in India, more than any
00:09:26.56\00:09:29.83
other country in the
world and many of the blind
00:09:29.83\00:09:32.33
in India could see again,
if only they could have simple
00:09:32.33\00:09:35.33
cataract surgery.
00:09:35.33\00:09:37.66
It Is Written is
making that happen.
00:09:37.66\00:09:40.50
Would you
support Eyes for India?
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For just $75 you'll be
giving the gift of sight
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to someone who
desperately wants to see.
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Here is all you need to do.
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Call 1.800.253.3000
to donate and support
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Eyes for India.
00:09:56.43\00:09:58.33
Or you can write to
It Is Written, Box O,
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Thousand Oaks, California 91359.
00:10:01.63\00:10:05.13
You'll also find
Eyes for India online at
00:10:05.13\00:10:08.26
itiswritten.com.
00:10:08.26\00:10:11.23
There was a sci-fi story
about a man who, having lost
00:10:13.43\00:10:16.10
his wife to death,
got a robot replacement.
00:10:16.10\00:10:19.43
He had everything about
her programmed in: looks,
00:10:19.43\00:10:22.66
vocabulary, diction,
actions, everything was the same
00:10:22.66\00:10:26.16
as his actual wife.
00:10:26.16\00:10:27.73
From all outward
appearances, it was his wife.
00:10:27.73\00:10:31.00
Except that it was robot, a
machine, and it did everything
00:10:31.00\00:10:35.33
his wife did, not
because it truly loved him,
00:10:35.33\00:10:38.80
but because it was
programmed to do so.
00:10:38.80\00:10:43.20
It had no more choice than
my computer does to start up
00:10:43.20\00:10:46.23
when I hit the start-up bottom.
00:10:46.23\00:10:48.03
And in the end he got rid of
it because the most important
00:10:48.03\00:10:51.10
ingredient was
missing, and that was love
00:10:51.10\00:10:55.23
--which can only exist when
one has freedom, only when one
00:10:55.23\00:11:00.70
has the option NOT to love.
00:11:00.70\00:11:01.90
And this powerful being,
Satan--given free will--chose
00:11:01.90\00:11:05.90
the not-to-love
option and eventually
00:11:05.90\00:11:10.03
rebelled against God.
00:11:10.03\00:11:10.93
As a result, he and these
other rebellious creatures,
00:11:10.93\00:11:13.16
who had free will too,
were cast out of heaven
00:11:13.16\00:11:19.16
and are now here on earth.
00:11:19.16\00:11:20.50
Here again is the
Bible, Revelation 12.
00:11:20.50\00:11:22.53
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens,
and ye that dwell in them.
00:11:22.53\00:11:26.53
Woe to the inhabiters of
the earth and of the sea!
00:11:26.53\00:11:28.83
for the devil is come down
unto you, having great wrath,
00:11:28.83\00:11:32.83
because he knoweth that
he hath but a short time
00:11:32.83\00:11:35.50
(Revelation 12:12, KJV).
00:11:35.50\00:11:38.20
Woe to us!
00:11:38.20\00:11:39.33
Why?
00:11:39.33\00:11:40.96
Because the devil has come
down unto you and he is full
00:11:40.96\00:11:44.23
of wrath.
00:11:44.23\00:11:45.76
It s a real mistake to
allegorize Satan, to make him
00:11:45.76\00:11:48.83
out to a figment of human
imagination, just a symbol
00:11:48.83\00:11:54.36
of our darker side or the like.
00:11:54.36\00:11:55.66
My Bible talks again and
again about a literal being
00:11:55.66\00:12:00.10
who is at war
with us and with God.
00:12:00.10\00:12:02.20
Look at the following texts
and keep in mind two points
00:12:02.20\00:12:05.40
that are found in them:
first, the reality of the
00:12:05.40\00:12:08.40
devil; and second, the
fact that he is working against
00:12:08.40\00:12:12.20
us.
00:12:12.20\00:12:13.30
Firstly, 1 Peter 5:8,
the Bible says: Be sober,
00:12:13.30\00:12:20.06
be vigilant; because
your adversary the devil,
00:12:20.06\00:12:22.76
as a roaring
lion, walketh about,
00:12:22.76\00:12:26.63
seeking whom he may devour
Ephesians 6:11, KJV Put on
00:12:26.63\00:12:32.00
the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to stand
00:12:32.00\00:12:36.36
against the wiles of the
devil And 2 Corinthians 2:11,
00:12:36.36\00:12:39.70
KJV, Lest Satan should get
an advantage of us: for we are
00:12:39.70\00:12:42.96
not ignorant of his
devices And before I go further,
00:12:42.96\00:12:47.60
there s one more text I
want to look at because it's one
00:12:47.60\00:12:49.96
of the most important
ones in all the Bible,
00:12:49.96\00:12:54.26
one of the most
important texts that can help us
00:12:54.26\00:12:57.56
understand the
nature and the outcome
00:12:57.56\00:13:00.53
of this great controversy.
00:13:00.53\00:13:01.90
Talking about Jesus, the
Bible says in Hebrews 2:14
00:13:01.90\00:13:03.76
that: Forasmuch then as
the children are partakers
00:13:03.76\00:13:12.50
of flesh and blood,
he also himself likewise
00:13:12.50\00:13:13.96
took part of the same;
that through death he might
00:13:13.96\00:13:16.26
destroy him that had the power
of death, that is, the devil
00:13:16.26\00:13:21.70
(Hebrews 2:14, KJV).
00:13:21.70\00:13:24.06
Notice that He will destroy
the one who had the power
00:13:24.06\00:13:27.06
of death, that is the devil.
00:13:27.06\00:13:28.43
Satan's ultimate
fate is to be destroyed.
00:13:28.43\00:13:31.43
We might be in a war, in
a battle, in a controversy,
00:13:31.43\00:13:35.86
but we know beforehand
that the good side wins,
00:13:35.86\00:13:37.20
that God wins and,
in a nutshell, what God
00:13:37.20\00:13:41.16
is saying to us in the
Bible is this: Come on over
00:13:41.16\00:13:45.26
to the winning side.
00:13:45.26\00:13:47.83
Jesus has won the battle
for you, and He offers you
00:13:47.83\00:13:49.70
the fruits, the promise,
the guarantee of His victory
00:13:49.70\00:13:52.60
against Satan.
00:13:52.60\00:13:54.10
Talk about an offer!
00:13:54.10\00:13:55.40
I'd like to say, It's
an offer you can't refuse,
00:13:55.40\00:13:59.23
but in God's universe,
we all have free choice,
00:13:59.23\00:14:02.86
and so we can refuse.
00:14:02.86\00:14:05.43
The question is, Why would we?
00:14:05.43\00:14:09.16
When God offers us everything
and the devil offers us only
00:14:09.16\00:14:12.46
death and destruction, why
would we chose anything else?
00:14:12.46\00:14:15.63
If we do, it's because we are
allowing Satan to deceive us.
00:14:15.63\00:14:20.53
Remember, the Bible says that
he deceives the whole world.
00:14:20.53\00:14:25.73
But we don't have to be fooled.
00:14:25.73\00:14:27.33
We just don t have to be,
as Paul wrote, ignorant of his
00:14:27.33\00:14:30.93
devices, and one of the
ways we can know his devices
00:14:30.93\00:14:35.06
is through
studying the temptation
00:14:35.06\00:14:36.36
in the wilderness,
and how Satan tried to use
00:14:36.36\00:14:40.23
his devices on Jesus and failed.
00:14:40.23\00:14:43.73
First, Satan tried to
tempt Jesus in the area
00:14:43.73\00:14:47.23
of appetite, telling Jesus
to use His power to turn stones
00:14:47.23\00:14:50.33
into bread.
00:14:50.33\00:14:51.93
How did Jesus respond?
00:14:51.93\00:14:54.03
He used the power of
God's Word, saying to Satan:
00:14:54.03\00:14:56.60
It is written, Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:14:56.60\00:15:00.33
but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth
00:15:00.33\00:15:05.66
of God.
00:15:05.66\00:15:06.80
(Matthew 4:4, KJV).
00:15:06.80\00:15:08.86
Jesus didn't argue with Satan,
he didn't get into a theological
00:15:08.86\00:15:11.73
debate, and he didn't
try to reason with him.
00:15:11.73\00:15:15.03
He simply went to the
Bible and he quoted the Bible.
00:15:15.03\00:15:18.86
And that was enough
to shut the devil down.
00:15:18.86\00:15:21.53
There s an important lesson
there, when we struggle with
00:15:21.53\00:15:23.23
temptations.
00:15:23.23\00:15:25.43
We can go to God s
Word and claim His promises
00:15:25.43\00:15:28.13
for victory, just as Jesus did.
00:15:28.13\00:15:31.13
So, what happened
next in the wilderness?
00:15:31.13\00:15:33.63
That first ploy didn't work,
so Satan tried something else.
00:15:33.63\00:15:37.26
Here s Matthew s
account of the second temptation
00:15:37.26\00:15:41.96
of Jesus: Then the devil taketh
him up into the holy city,
00:15:41.96\00:15:46.76
and setteth him on a pinnacle
of the temple, And saith unto
00:15:46.76\00:15:49.93
him, If thou be the Son
of God, cast thyself down:
00:15:49.93\00:15:54.13
for it is written, He shall give
his angels charge concerning
00:15:54.13\00:15:58.03
thee: and in their hands
they shall bear thee up, lest
00:15:58.03\00:16:02.30
at any time thou dash
thy foot against a stone.
00:16:02.30\00:16:06.10
Jesus said unto
him, It is written again,
00:16:06.10\00:16:08.23
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord
thy God That's Matthew 4:5-7
00:16:08.23\00:16:16.40
Look at what s going on here.
00:16:16.40\00:16:18.26
Jesus used Scripture against
the devil, and so what does
00:16:18.26\00:16:21.50
the devil do?
00:16:21.50\00:16:22.66
He comes back to Jesus
and tempts him, this time
00:16:22.66\00:16:23.66
quoting Scripture himself!
00:16:23.66\00:16:27.83
Jesus used the Bible
as His means of countering
00:16:27.83\00:16:30.73
the devil's first
attack in the wilderness,
00:16:30.73\00:16:32.73
and so the devil tried to
meet Jesus on His own ground,
00:16:32.73\00:16:35.26
quoting Scripture back at Him.
00:16:35.26\00:16:38.76
And yet here's
an important point.
00:16:38.76\00:16:41.40
Though the devil quotes
Scripture, he really misquotes
00:16:41.40\00:16:43.90
it, taking it out of context
and trying to get it to say
00:16:43.90\00:16:46.70
something
different from what it meant.
00:16:46.70\00:16:50.06
This has been his ploy
for millennia now, and often
00:16:50.06\00:16:51.40
used for
horrendous purposes too.
00:16:51.40\00:16:56.56
The devil has plenty of
folks willing to misquote
00:16:56.56\00:16:59.30
and misuse the
Bible for their own ends.
00:16:59.30\00:17:02.56
The difference
between presumption and faith.
00:17:02.56\00:17:06.63
That's straight ahead.
00:17:06.63\00:17:11.03
In Matthew 4:4 the Word
of God says It is written Man
00:17:11.03\00:17:14.90
shall not live by bread alone
but by every word that proceeds
00:17:14.90\00:17:18.40
out of the mouth of God
Every Word is a one minute
00:17:18.40\00:17:22.20
Bible-based daily
devotional presented by Pastor
00:17:22.20\00:17:24.70
John Bradshaw and designed
especially for busy people
00:17:24.70\00:17:27.80
like you.
00:17:27.80\00:17:29.10
Look for Every Word on selected
networks or watch it on-line
00:17:29.10\00:17:32.20
everyday on our
website itiswritten.com.
00:17:32.20\00:17:36.20
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:17:36.20\00:17:38.56
Watch Every Word.
00:17:38.56\00:17:39.66
You ll be glad you did.
00:17:39.66\00:17:41.36
Here s a sample: In
Sequoia National Forest
00:17:41.36\00:17:53.16
recently an ancient
sequoia crashed to the ground.
00:17:53.16\00:17:56.53
The fall was caught on video.
00:17:56.53\00:17:57.86
A towering giant let go
of its grip on the earth,
00:17:57.86\00:18:01.13
and down it came after standing
for fifteen hundred years.
00:18:01.13\00:18:04.83
As majestic as these big
trees are - and I've seen
00:18:04.83\00:18:07.13
them right up close -
sooner or later (and usually
00:18:07.13\00:18:09.93
much later) they fall.
00:18:09.93\00:18:11.60
Everything does in the end.
00:18:11.60\00:18:13.03
Buildings are
demolished, people pass away.
00:18:13.03\00:18:15.63
Is there anything
that really lasts?
00:18:15.63\00:18:17.60
One thing.
00:18:17.60\00:18:18.73
Isaiah 40:8 says, The
grass withers, the flower fades,
00:18:18.73\00:18:21.63
but the word of
our God stands forever.
00:18:21.63\00:18:24.43
God s word never falls.
00:18:24.43\00:18:26.03
It's been attacked
but it is still true.
00:18:26.03\00:18:28.43
It's been criticized
and derided, demeaned
00:18:28.43\00:18:30.96
and disparaged, but it
was true when it was written
00:18:30.96\00:18:33.66
and it's true today.
00:18:33.66\00:18:34.10
It stands.
00:18:34.10\00:18:35.90
When everything about you is
giving way, trust the word of
00:18:35.90\00:18:37.93
God.
00:18:37.93\00:18:39.23
It stands forever.
00:18:39.23\00:18:40.46
I m John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:18:40.46\00:18:42.46
Let s live today by Every Word.
00:18:42.46\00:18:46.40
Planning for your financial
future is a vital aspect of
00:18:46.40\00:18:48.83
Christian Stewardship.
00:18:48.83\00:18:50.60
For this reason, It
Is Written is pleased
00:18:50.60\00:18:52.83
to offer free planned
giving and estate services.
00:18:52.83\00:18:55.66
For information on how
we can help you, please call
00:18:55.66\00:18:58.43
1.800.992.2219.
00:18:58.43\00:19:01.40
To receive additional
material on the advantages
00:19:01.40\00:19:04.30
of life-income plans such
as a Charitable Gift Annuity,
00:19:04.30\00:19:08.40
which can provide you
with tax benefits and income
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for life, call today or
visit our special website:
00:19:10.66\00:19:14.96
www.hislegacy.com You
could also write to It Is
00:19:14.96\00:19:20.83
Written, Planned
Giving and Trust Services,
00:19:20.83\00:19:24.16
Box O, Thousand
Oaks, California 91359.
00:19:24.16\00:19:27.36
Our toll-free number again
is 1-800-992-2219 and our web
00:19:27.36\00:19:32.36
address: www.hislegacy.com
00:19:32.36\00:19:37.36
One of the worst examples of
somebody misquoting the Bible
00:19:40.00\00:19:43.03
was when, during a religious
war in Europe, a commander
00:19:43.03\00:19:47.43
stood over the city they were
about to attack and his aide
00:19:47.43\00:19:50.23
asked him, How are we
going to know who is on our side
00:19:50.23\00:19:53.56
who is the enemy?
00:19:53.56\00:19:55.00
The commander responded,
Kill em all and then, quoting
00:19:55.00\00:19:58.83
Scripture, or
actually misquoting it, added,
00:19:58.83\00:20:01.83
the Lord knoweth
them that are his.
00:20:01.83\00:20:05.73
And this is
what Satan does here.
00:20:05.73\00:20:07.20
In Matthew 4:6 he says
to Jesus, For it is written:
00:20:07.20\00:20:11.70
He shall give His angels charge
over you, and, In their hands
00:20:11.70\00:20:16.40
they shall bear
you up, Lest you dash
00:20:16.40\00:20:19.83
your foot against a stone.
00:20:19.83\00:20:21.33
" Now that all sounds nice
but the devil doesn't quote
00:20:21.33\00:20:23.96
it in its entirety.
00:20:23.96\00:20:26.10
He just takes a certain
part of it, omitting the rest.
00:20:26.10\00:20:28.76
The texts were from Psalm 91
and read like this: For he shall
00:20:28.76\00:20:34.16
give his angels charge
over thee, to keep thee
00:20:34.16\00:20:37.83
in all thy ways.
00:20:37.83\00:20:39.50
They shall bear thee up in
their hands, lest thou dash
00:20:39.50\00:20:42.80
thy foot against a
stone (Psalm 91:11-12, KJV).
00:20:42.80\00:20:46.63
He leaves out the
most important part.
00:20:46.63\00:20:49.66
God will give His angels
charge over you, to keep thee
00:20:49.66\00:20:53.40
in all thy ways, that
is, in all thy ways and paths
00:20:53.40\00:20:57.46
of righteousness, of
obedience of faithfulness.
00:20:57.46\00:21:02.03
That s the crucial qualifier
that Satan leaves out, trying
00:21:02.03\00:21:04.93
to give Jesus the idea
that it doesn't matter what He
00:21:04.93\00:21:08.40
does, God will
protect Him and be with Him.
00:21:08.40\00:21:10.80
But, as we saw, that s
not what the texts said.
00:21:10.80\00:21:15.50
The devil misquoted
the Scriptures and He
00:21:15.50\00:21:18.93
certainly didn t fool Jesus.
00:21:18.93\00:21:20.10
How did Jesus
respond to this temptation?
00:21:20.10\00:21:22.73
Back to Matthew, Ch 4.
00:21:22.73\00:21:26.43
Jesus said unto him, It is
written again, Thou shalt not
00:21:26.43\00:21:31.96
tempt the Lord thy
God (Matthew 4:7, KJV).
00:21:31.96\00:21:36.20
' He said it is written again.
00:21:36.20\00:21:40.00
Jesus went back to the Bible.
00:21:40.00\00:21:42.06
He didn t argue with
Satan, and He didn t point out
00:21:42.06\00:21:45.23
Satan's misuse of
the Bible, either.
00:21:45.23\00:21:47.70
Jesus just went right to
the Word of God and responded
00:21:47.70\00:21:50.03
with a text that
rebuked the devil s attempt
00:21:50.03\00:21:53.70
to lead Him into presumption.
00:21:53.70\00:21:55.43
Now I don't know any promises
in the Bible which tell me
00:21:55.43\00:21:58.70
I can deviate from obedience
and expect God to pour out
00:21:58.70\00:22:02.46
His blessings on me.
00:22:02.46\00:22:04.10
You still might get blessed,
you still might have success,
00:22:04.10\00:22:09.60
but that doesn't
mean it's from the Lord.
00:22:09.60\00:22:11.60
I find it hard to
believe that it was God s will
00:22:11.60\00:22:13.43
for John D. Rockefeller
to put all those folks out
00:22:13.43\00:22:15.46
of business and swallow up
their companies through his
00:22:15.46\00:22:17.40
shady and greedy practices.
00:22:17.40\00:22:20.43
Just because something
is what the world would deem
00:22:20.43\00:22:22.50
successful, isn't necessarily
the same thing as being blessed
00:22:22.50\00:22:25.66
by God.
00:22:25.66\00:22:28.90
Hugh Hefner, by the
world's standards, is being
00:22:28.90\00:22:32.30
successful, but who would
say that God was blessing him?
00:22:32.30\00:22:36.16
People invoke God s name in
all sorts of schemes; people
00:22:36.16\00:22:40.36
will misquote Scripture to
justify even the most sordid
00:22:40.36\00:22:44.00
deeds; people will do
the most outrageous things,
00:22:44.00\00:22:48.76
believing for whatever
reason that God will bless
00:22:48.76\00:22:50.63
their efforts even if those
efforts are completely contrary
00:22:50.63\00:22:55.20
to His revealed will.
00:22:55.20\00:22:56.96
This is all presumption,
and that is what Jesus
00:22:56.96\00:22:59.46
refused to fall for and
we should refuse to fall
00:22:59.46\00:23:04.26
for it too when we are tempted
to do things in the name of God
00:23:04.26\00:23:06.73
that He would never sanction.
00:23:06.73\00:23:11.66
Presumption is the
counterfeit of faith.
00:23:11.66\00:23:13.66
Faith trusts in God's
promises, and brings forth
00:23:13.66\00:23:17.46
the fruits of obedience in
response to those promises.
00:23:17.46\00:23:21.53
Presumption, on the other
hand, claims those promises
00:23:21.53\00:23:24.83
but then uses them to
excuse or justify wrong actions.
00:23:24.83\00:23:28.53
Faith trusts that if we
obey God, if we walk in the path
00:23:28.53\00:23:34.46
of obedience, if we
comply with the conditions sets
00:23:34.46\00:23:37.80
forth in the Word, then
God will bless us according
00:23:37.80\00:23:40.96
to His will.
00:23:40.96\00:23:42.43
Presumption, on the
other hand, claims the promises
00:23:42.43\00:23:45.23
of God but ignores or defines
the conditions upon which
00:23:45.23\00:23:50.43
they based.
00:23:50.43\00:23:52.83
We are in the midst of
a universal battle between
00:23:52.83\00:23:55.96
Christ and Satan.
00:23:55.96\00:23:57.73
And you can be sure
that the devil is using
00:23:57.73\00:24:00.80
every device and every
scheme he can toward each of us,
00:24:00.80\00:24:04.16
especially if we
profess faith in God.
00:24:04.16\00:24:10.13
Presumption is a
sin of the believer,
00:24:10.13\00:24:11.33
not the atheist.
00:24:11.33\00:24:13.50
The atheist doesn't presume
on God because he doesn't
00:24:13.50\00:24:16.96
believe in God--though I
heard of someone who said,
00:24:16.96\00:24:20.03
Thank God, I'm still an atheist.
00:24:20.03\00:24:22.66
And there's good news.
00:24:22.66\00:24:23.96
Christ's death on the
cross covers even the sin
00:24:23.96\00:24:26.53
of presumption.
00:24:26.53\00:24:28.13
If you have presumed
upon God, if you have sought
00:24:28.13\00:24:31.63
for the promises without
following the conditions,
00:24:31.63\00:24:36.13
then flee to Jesus
and flee to the cross.
00:24:36.13\00:24:38.26
You can repent of your
sins, whatever they are, even
00:24:38.26\00:24:40.36
that of presumption, and you can
receive Christ's forgiveness.
00:24:40.36\00:24:44.33
And then, in
faith and in obedience,
00:24:44.33\00:24:46.90
you can press on,
claiming all the promises
00:24:46.90\00:24:50.46
offered us in His Word.
00:24:50.46\00:24:52.13
And that's not presumption.
00:24:52.13\00:24:54.23
That s faith.
00:24:54.23\00:24:56.60
Let s pray together.
00:24:56.60\00:24:58.46
Father in heaven, I
pray that where we have been
00:24:58.46\00:25:02.30
presumptuous you
would forgive us and lead us
00:25:02.30\00:25:06.33
to be people of faith.
00:25:06.33\00:25:08.43
I pray that we would
never lean on the Bible
00:25:08.43\00:25:12.63
and use it to excuse
things we should not be doing.
00:25:12.63\00:25:15.83
I pray the Bible wouldn't be
a cloak that somehow conceals
00:25:15.83\00:25:20.20
our sins but that your
Word would be powerful enough
00:25:20.20\00:25:25.66
to create in us clean hearts.
00:25:25.66\00:25:26.63
Help us to come clean
and have faith truth faith
00:25:26.63\00:25:28.86
in your word and not
to stoop to presumption.
00:25:28.86\00:25:34.83
We thank you that you can be
trusted, we thank you that your
00:25:34.83\00:25:36.56
word is perfect, we thank
you that your ways are right.
00:25:36.56\00:25:38.00
Lead us in them please,
I pray in Jesus'name, amen.
00:25:38.00\00:25:45.96
Today, I want to offer
you this special, free book,
00:26:05.20\00:26:07.86
on the subject of God's
promises, including some
00:26:07.86\00:26:09.50
of the very promises God
makes to us to reassure us
00:26:09.50\00:26:12.96
that He is there for
us even when we fall.
00:26:12.96\00:26:17.76
You will find it
very encouraging.
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It's called God's Promises.
00:26:19.26\00:26:21.00
Dozens of promises
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00:26:21.00\00:26:22.70
with encouragement for
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00:26:22.70\00:26:23.66
in His grace.
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This is going to help you
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Just call or write and I
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If the lines are busy,
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You can also request your
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by writing to It Is
Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks,
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And we will mail a copy to
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00:26:57.20\00:27:00.36
Please note, this free
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00:27:00.36\00:27:03.33
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For immediate access, you
can download a free, electronic
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version of this
book, God's Promises,
00:27:07.26\00:27:08.66
from our website,
It Is Written.com.
00:27:08.66\00:27:12.26
It Is Written is a faith-based
ministry made possible
00:27:12.26\00:27:14.13
by viewers like you.
00:27:14.13\00:27:15.76
I want to say Thank
you to you for your support
00:27:15.76\00:27:18.13
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00:27:18.13\00:27:19.40
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00:27:19.40\00:27:22.63
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00:27:30.76\00:27:32.30
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00:27:32.30\00:27:34.33
Our toll-free number is
1 800 253 3000 and our web
00:27:34.33\00:27:40.03
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00:27:40.03\00:27:42.90
Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:42.90\00:27:44.50
Look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:44.50\00:27:46.40
Until then be sure to
remember It Is Written:
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man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word
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that proceeds
from the mouth of God.
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