¤[Dramatic Music Score]¤
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It has stood the test of
time, God's book, the Bible.
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Still relevant in
today's complex world.
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It Is Written,
sharing hope around the globe.
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Thanks for joining me
today. This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw. We
look around society and we
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see something as clear as
day. The environment seems to be
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falling apart. The news is full
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of such reports.
Scientists are making claims
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whether it's about global
warming or a person's carbon
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footprint or the Ozone
layer or air pollution or just
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regular old pollution. It
certainly seems that today's
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world is not the
same as yesterday's world.
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It seems that we are sinking.
Today, on It Is Written,
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we are going to look at that
through the lens of Scripture.
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Does the Bible
support this view?
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Is there anything
we can do about it?
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And what does the decay of our
environment suggest about the
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fulfillment of Bible
prophecy. My guest today is
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Scott Christiansen, a
Christian minister and author,
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a seminar presenter and someone
who has worked in various
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locations around the world in
positions that have enabled him
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to see
environmental change up close.
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Scott Christiansen,
thanks for joining me.
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Welcome to It Is
Written. SC My please.
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Thank you. JB What
does the Bible have to
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say about the decay of
the environment? Anything?
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Nothing? Something? Much? What?
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SC Well, the Bible
says that there will be
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tremendous decay in
society as a result of sin.
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Let's go to Isaiah 51:6 where
the Bible says the earth will
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wax old as a garment and
basically be falling apart and
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let's go to Romans 8:22
where the Bible says that
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all of creation groans. I
look at this verse and it is
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clear that it is because of sin.
Why else would a world that was
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created in
perfection be groaning.
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JB In fact, Paul wrote
that creation wants to escape
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the bondage that it
is now experiencing.
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SC Absolutely. JB Let
me up the ante a little
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bit because there is a verse
that comes to my mind in the
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Book of Revelation, Chapter 11,
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the nations were angry,
your wrath has come and so on.
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The end of that
verse, Revelation 11:18 says
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that God will
destroy "those who destroy
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the earth." Revelation 11:18.
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Does that mean what
it sounds like it means?
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SC That God is
an environmentalist
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or that he is angry over
the destruction of his planet?
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JB That God cares about the
environment and that destroying
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the earth is not
good. Is that what it means?
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SC If we look in Job, we
are told that the morning
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star sang at the creation of the
earth and we know that God was
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excited about his creation.
He looked at it and he said it
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was very good.
What we have not really
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appreciated previous
to this, as Christians,
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is that sin affects man
profoundly and it affects the
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earth itself, profoundly.
I mean, there is a reason
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God hates sin and
there is a reason that it
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needs to be eradicated
completely and the earth needs
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to be re-created
because sin only subtracts.
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It only takes
away. It only decays.
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It only causes
death. It adds to nothing.
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Let's discuss some of what
we see specifically because the
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Bible says the earth is falling
apart and it connected to sin
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something that your average
environmentalist is not going to
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connect the dots like
that. Let's be specific.
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What do we see in the
world today that suggests the
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environment
actually is falling apart.
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Well, if we take a look at
the systems that God created,
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let's talk about systems
instead of just minor specifics
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around the globe and
when I talk about systems
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I mean, our atmospheric
system, our climate system,
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our oceanic system,
our fresh water system and
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our food
production system, you know,
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soil was created
and the Garden of Eden,
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food production and human
society were created as part
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of the creation week.
Let's take a look at the system
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that is falling
apart the most rapidly,
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our oceanic system. JB Ok
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SC Good studies out,
validated studies out,
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published studies out
project that fisheries
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on a global basis will
be essentially depleted,
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will be collapsed
within 25 years and we are on
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a steep downward slope
when it comes to fisheries
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and that is a big deal.
There is a billion people who
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rely upon those fisheries
for almost all of their food.
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JB And billions of others who
rely on the fisheries for some
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of their food. SC
When you have a growing
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population,
beyond seven billion,
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and we are at a razor-thin
margin between what we produce
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and consume every year and
you take the food for a billion
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people out of that equation,
that is a very big deal.
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Our soils are being
systematically degraded.
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We have very poor
practices across the globe.
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More than 20 million acres a
year consistently are taken out
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of food production because
they are totally degraded.
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JB Wait a minute. How
much is 20 million acres?
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SC Well I come from the state of
Maine and that would not quite
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be the entire state of Maine but
it would be a lot of the State
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of Maine. That is a lot of area.
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JB So it is
almost the size of Maine.
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SC Yeah, almost
the size of Maine.
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We have to remember that some
of that is slash and burn in the
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tropics but there is also
farmland that has been farmed
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for a very long time that
has just become so degraded,
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it comes out of production.
JB But essentially that much
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land is taken out every year
because it is worthless now.
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SC It is, yes. JB In
terms of food production.
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SC That's correct. JB
Well that's dramatic. Okay,
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keep talking to me
about food production issues.
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I can see that this is directly
related to population issues.
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More people to feed now. SC
There is an organization out
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of Boston in the US called
NECSI and they are easy to find
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and their published
studies are easy to find.
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They have taken a look
at the 20 year or beyond
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price chart that is published
by the United Nations that shows
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significant
price spikes in food.
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We had a long period of
price stability followed by
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significant price spikes
over the last five or six years.
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And then they issued a graph
showing that at the peak of
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those price spikes were
rebellions and uprisings and
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conflicts within nations and
between nations and basically
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what they are saying is "look,
there is a perfect correlation
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between price spikes and
the increasing instability
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in society. So if
you go back and you say
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okay, we are
really on the razor's
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edge on a global basis
on food and our ability
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to produce is declining
and our oceans are crashing,
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we get from there directly into
societal instability and we get
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there directly into conflict
and you can reference from there
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Matthew 24, wars
and rumors of war.
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We see the iron links
between the environment and its
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accelerating degradation
and the fulfillment of prophecy.
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JB I am very interested in the
idea about food production and
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the environmental issues that
are squeezing food production
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and therefore,
squeezing populations.
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Let's talk more about
that in just a moment.
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This is It Is
Written. Don't go away,
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we'll be right back.
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¤(Calming Reflective Music)¤
Every Word is a one-minute
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Bible-based daily devotional
presented by Pastor John
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Bradshaw and designed especially
for busy people like you.
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Look for Every Word on selected
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everyday on our
website, itiswritten.com.
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¤ [Rythmic Melody] ¤
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Thanks for joining me.
Not long ago I found myself in
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the midst of a
storm - a reall big one.
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Trees were uprooted and roads
were closed and there was a lot
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of damage - but the
storm passed as storms do.
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The Bible talks about the mother
of all storms in Daniel 12:1 -
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and encourages us that
there's hope even in the midst
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of great trial.
"there shall be a time of
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trouble, such as never
was since there was a nation,
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even to that time. And
at that time your people
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shall be delivered,
every one who is found
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written in the
book." A time of trouble
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such a never was
- but God's people
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will be delivered. If
it looks to you like the
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world is getting
worse, the truth is
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you ain't seen nothing
yet. But the greatest truth
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is that God's people
are going to be delivered.
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That's good news
I'm John Bradshaw
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for It Is Written. Let's
live today by Every Word.
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This is It Is Written
Thanks for joining me today.
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We are talking about the
environment and its relationship
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to the Word of God in particular
to Bible prophecy and my guest
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today is Scott Christiansen.
Scott, let's talk about where
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we were just a
moment ago, food production.
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Now, you know, where I live,
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I can eat what I
want, when I want,
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it doesn't seem like there
are many food production issues
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to me. Let's
discuss this on a global
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basis and talk about how
the collapsing environ is
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actually
affecting food production.
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First of all, let's to go to ...
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whether or not you notice it ...
many of the people watching this
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program are going to be from
North America or Western Europe.
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These are the areas on the globe
where there is an abundance of
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resources, not
necessarily an abundance of
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good but an abundance of
resources they can afford food.
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Well, let's take as
an example Corn Flakes.
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Let's say you are having Corn
Flakes for breakfast and let's
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say the price of corn
doubles, as it did last year.
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Let's say that your Corn Flakes
are not going to double in price
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because of
packaging, because of marketing,
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because of all the things
that go into those Corn Flakes,
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the actual corn in your
Corn Flakes is probably only
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20 cents or so. So when the part
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of your Corn Flakes,
you pay $4 for that box and
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when the price of corn
doubles and it goes up to $4.20
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you don't even
notice. Or if you do notice,
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maybe you notice
just a little tiny bit,
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but remember ...
there's 3.5 billion people on
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the face of the earth that are
making $2.50 a day or less and
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they are s pending from
50 to 90% of their income
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on food alone
and so when they are
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buying literally a handful of
corn or a handful of wheat or a
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handful of rice and
prices significantly increase,
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where is that money going to
come from so that they can keep
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getting the minimum
amount of food that they need.
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These price spikes profoundly
affect billions of people on the
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face of the earth and we don't
even notice in North America.
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JB Okay, what are
some other systems.
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You talk about
God-created systems.
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These systems are being
affected by sin causing decay
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environmentally.
What is another one?
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SC Well, we talked
about oceanic systems.
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Our fresh water system.
Around the world aquifers are
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being pumped out and this is a
huge deal because they are being
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pumped out to
keep irrigating crops.
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These aquifers fill
up very, very slowly.
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They fill up, if you will,
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on geological time. So
when these aquifers are
00:11:00.42\00:11:03.19
pumped out either to give a
major city water or to irrigate
00:11:03.19\00:11:06.90
crops. There is
no replacing them.
00:11:06.90\00:11:09.36
This is happening
all over the world.
00:11:09.36\00:11:11.03
We are not living in any
or that is nearly sustainable.
00:11:11.03\00:11:13.64
And let me take as an example
the Ogalala Aquifer underlying
00:11:13.64\00:11:16.87
eight states in Central and
Midwest US and this underlies a
00:11:16.87\00:11:22.91
significant area of
grain production and in fact,
00:11:22.91\00:11:26.41
it provides the water
for everything above it.
00:11:26.41\00:11:28.62
The industry,
cities and agriculture.
00:11:28.62\00:11:31.52
It is shrinking at the edges and
it is expected to be completely
00:11:31.52\00:11:34.99
depleted as a
resource within 25 years.
00:11:34.99\00:11:37.53
JB What happens if
this thing disappears?
00:11:37.53\00:11:38.86
SC Well we just can't produce
the grain and we can't have the
00:11:38.86\00:11:41.16
cities that are there,
and the industries there.
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There is nothing to
replace it as a resource.
00:11:43.60\00:11:45.90
JB But can't we just build
a desalination plant and pump
00:11:45.90\00:11:48.10
water in? SC Well
if there is an endless
00:11:48.10\00:11:49.97
supply of energy, yes.
00:11:49.97\00:11:52.47
And that is a very expensive
thing that is being proposed.
00:11:52.47\00:11:54.18
Especially if we do it with
oil. But if there is an endless
00:11:54.18\00:11:56.88
supply of energy,
then theoretically
00:11:56.88\00:11:58.41
we could do many things.
You're talking a river flowing
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in reverse to make this
thing go and maybe if this was
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our only problem in the globe,
we could fix this one thing.
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People say "what's going on?"
and there is no real answer to
00:12:08.99\00:12:12.36
that until you start
talking about the effect of sin.
00:12:12.36\00:12:15.46
From a Christian
perspective, sin is the problem.
00:12:15.46\00:12:18.83
Christ is the solution. JB
I think what we are going to
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do in just a moment is
talk about the big picture.
00:12:22.67\00:12:25.84
The environment's collapsing.
We see markers everywhere,
00:12:25.84\00:12:29.34
signs everywhere telling us that
this is a planet in distress,
00:12:29.34\00:12:33.01
a planet in decay.
Is there a way out?
00:12:33.01\00:12:35.98
What does it mean? What
is the ultimate solution?
00:12:35.98\00:12:38.95
Let's cover that
next. SC Very good
00:12:38.95\00:12:40.66
JB We'll be back with
more in just a moment.
00:12:40.66\00:12:42.39
I'm John Bradshaw.
This is It Is Written.
00:12:42.39\00:12:45.09
¤ [Thoughtful Melody] ¤
Planning for your financial
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For this reason, It
Is Written is pleased
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00:13:05.05\00:13:11.82
JB Our discussion today is
centering on the relationship
00:13:16.19\00:13:18.96
between the decay we see in
the environment around us and
00:13:18.96\00:13:23.06
the signs we read
about in the Bible,
00:13:23.06\00:13:25.30
the spiritual implications of
an environment that seems to be
00:13:25.30\00:13:29.70
collapsing. Scott,
let's talk a little bit
00:13:29.70\00:13:32.81
more about some specifics,
where we see, maybe some
00:13:32.81\00:13:35.74
alarm bells
ringing in the environment.
00:13:35.74\00:13:39.41
A moment ago we talked about
the global food supply and we
00:13:39.41\00:13:43.05
discussed a couple of things
that would concern anybody.
00:13:43.05\00:13:45.52
Looking at it biblically,
the Bible does say that the
00:13:45.52\00:13:48.52
earth is going to deteriorate,
wax old like a garment,
00:13:48.52\00:13:52.13
in fact, it would
be destroyed according
00:13:52.13\00:13:54.66
to what we read in Scripture.
What are some other areas where
00:13:54.66\00:13:57.17
we see signs that really ought
to alarm people and point them
00:13:57.17\00:14:01.87
to what the Bible has
said about the environment.
00:14:01.87\00:14:04.11
SC It's an
interesting question, really,
00:14:04.11\00:14:06.61
because we only live so long.
For us to go back and say well
00:14:06.61\00:14:11.55
here's the amount of damage over
the last 400 years and here is
00:14:11.55\00:14:15.12
the extent to which it is
accelerating at our current age.
00:14:15.12\00:14:17.79
That's a tough thing.
There is a book called
00:14:17.79\00:14:20.32
The End of the Line
that looks at the oceans
00:14:20.32\00:14:23.69
as they exist in written
records 400 years ago and 300
00:14:23.69\00:14:27.96
years ago and these were
incredibly productive oceans.
00:14:27.96\00:14:31.63
I mean, these
are oceans that just
00:14:31.63\00:14:32.87
filled with life. I mean,
00:14:32.87\00:14:34.77
you could just harvest
and harvest and harvest.
00:14:34.77\00:14:36.87
As late as 1940 and 1950,
the oceans were thought to be
00:14:36.87\00:14:41.08
limitless in the amount of
resources that they were able
00:14:41.08\00:14:43.61
to give. Now,
scientists are calling this
00:14:43.61\00:14:47.32
the Miocene era,
the age of slime,
00:14:47.32\00:14:50.82
when most life forms in the
ocean are either declining or
00:14:50.82\00:14:54.32
dying and our oceans are
transitioning to an environment
00:14:54.32\00:14:57.96
where they are
really hospitable for algae,
00:14:57.96\00:15:01.33
fungus and bacteria.
JB Are we really seeing an
00:15:01.33\00:15:04.73
increase in recent years or
are we just better at observing?
00:15:04.73\00:15:08.34
SC No. We are seeing
an absolute decrease,
00:15:08.34\00:15:11.37
if you will, in
the amount of resource.
00:15:11.37\00:15:13.24
JB An increase and
a decrease. SC Yes.
00:15:13.24\00:15:16.31
If things happen slowly
enough and they happened over a
00:15:16.31\00:15:20.15
multitude of lifetimes
that prior to say, 1960,
00:15:20.15\00:15:24.35
we weren't really noticing
degradation in the environment
00:15:24.35\00:15:28.02
and in addition to that the
population burden on the planet
00:15:28.02\00:15:30.83
was half of what it is now.
Now we have got more people,
00:15:30.83\00:15:33.63
we've got more pressure and we
are seeing a greater and greater
00:15:33.63\00:15:36.30
acceleration in the decay of the
actual planet itself and we are
00:15:36.30\00:15:39.90
beginning to see impacts on
society and we are sitting up
00:15:39.90\00:15:42.10
and taking
notice. It is a big deal.
00:15:42.10\00:15:45.34
JB What is the end
game? What is the way out?
00:15:45.34\00:15:47.34
Can it be fixed? SC No.
00:15:47.34\00:15:48.71
My response to this is what is
your proposal for reversing the
00:15:48.71\00:15:52.45
effect of sin? Well,
let's put it like this.
00:15:52.45\00:15:55.32
What is going on in
the world is very serious,
00:15:55.32\00:15:57.79
very serious and for Christians
who study their Bible and who
00:15:57.79\00:16:01.79
look at the signs as Christ
laid them out in Matthew 24
00:16:01.79\00:16:05.23
and who connect the
dots, is our sense of urgency
00:16:05.23\00:16:09.60
commensurate with
what we see around us?
00:16:09.60\00:16:11.73
Are we rising to the crisis that
is at hand and to the end of
00:16:11.73\00:16:15.80
time? These are
very big questions.
00:16:15.80\00:16:19.04
JB Should I be
worried about whether or not
00:16:19.04\00:16:20.61
I am going to eat?
What can I do or should I
00:16:20.61\00:16:22.71
buy a house with
a great big basement
00:16:22.71\00:16:24.85
and stock it with
beans and rice and wheat?
00:16:24.85\00:16:28.08
Is that what I
should do? SC Well,
00:16:28.08\00:16:29.68
the Bible tells us
that we should not worry.
00:16:29.68\00:16:33.12
In fact, it
tells us in Matthew 24
00:16:33.12\00:16:36.36
not to worry because
these things must happen.
00:16:36.36\00:16:39.09
And the Bible also tells us that
our bread will be sure and our
00:16:39.09\00:16:42.26
water will be
sure. The question is:
00:16:42.26\00:16:46.27
Are we working for
our Master? Are fulfilling
00:16:46.27\00:16:49.20
the great commission? If
we are not close to Christ,
00:16:49.20\00:16:53.68
if we don't
know him as a friend,
00:16:53.68\00:16:55.84
if we are fully of the world and
not of Christ then there is a
00:16:55.84\00:16:59.68
lot to worry about.
There's a tremendous amount to
00:16:59.68\00:17:01.72
worry about because the world
is ending and we have no hope.
00:17:01.72\00:17:04.55
If Christ is our Savior and we
are fully committed to him and
00:17:04.55\00:17:09.56
looking away from the
world and toward his coming,
00:17:09.56\00:17:11.99
then we don't need to
worry but we do need to work.
00:17:11.99\00:17:14.93
JB So there is a Savior who has
pledged to take care of those
00:17:14.93\00:17:16.93
who trust in him. SC
Yes JB Even though that the
00:17:16.93\00:17:19.73
world might be
falling apart around us.
00:17:19.73\00:17:22.17
There is a hope, is there?
00:17:22.17\00:17:23.87
SC There's great hope.
There's tremendous hope.
00:17:23.87\00:17:25.94
JB Prophetically, where do
you think this leads us in the
00:17:25.94\00:17:29.28
overall flow of Bible prophecy?
SC Well let's go to Scripture.
00:17:29.28\00:17:34.05
I focus on Matthew
24:6-8. There will be wars
00:17:34.05\00:17:37.39
and rumors of wars,
etc... In Matthew 24,
00:17:37.39\00:17:41.46
Christ walked his disciples
through what would happen
00:17:41.46\00:17:45.46
in history,
relatively near term history,
00:17:45.46\00:17:48.63
but also what would
happen at the end of time.
00:17:48.63\00:17:50.90
As with all great prophecy,
it had a dual application and so
00:17:50.90\00:17:54.34
we know the waymarks.
Christ himself articulated the
00:17:54.34\00:17:57.84
waymarks for us that
we were to watch for.
00:17:57.84\00:18:00.91
And I look at this and we are
early on in the final waymarks.
00:18:00.91\00:18:07.12
But these events happen very
rapidly at the close and so we
00:18:07.12\00:18:10.89
are headed towards what some
call a time of Jacob's trouble,
00:18:10.89\00:18:14.79
a time of little trouble,
a time of great disruption
00:18:14.79\00:18:17.26
on the earth, but
before the time of
00:18:17.26\00:18:19.76
tribulation and
Christ's coming. The point is,
00:18:19.76\00:18:23.20
because we don't know exactly
when those things happen and
00:18:23.20\00:18:25.33
because we don't know exactly
the way between here and there,
00:18:25.33\00:18:29.94
[Sounds of Thunder] the
point is we are living in
00:18:29.94\00:18:31.84
the End Times. We are living in
00:18:31.84\00:18:33.71
prophetic times. We are
living in historic times.
00:18:33.71\00:18:38.28
JB So is it fair to say that
if we didn't have some of these
00:18:38.28\00:18:40.18
environmental pressures in
the world then we might not see
00:18:40.18\00:18:44.92
last day Bible prophecy being
fulfilled with the rapidity
00:18:44.92\00:18:47.92
that it is being fulfilled.
Is that what you are saying?
00:18:47.92\00:18:50.19
SC That is what I am saying.
If we open our eyes we can see
00:18:50.19\00:18:53.73
things that are pointing to
Scripture and that are pointing
00:18:53.73\00:18:56.60
to prophecy and the
fulfillment of that prophecy.
00:18:56.60\00:18:58.60
In Mark 13:32-37 we are told
repeatedly to watch and to pray.
00:18:58.60\00:19:06.44
We are told to watch. And
we are not told to watch and
00:19:06.44\00:19:09.01
then given nothing to watch for.
So in this time we are seeing
00:19:09.01\00:19:14.75
the culmination of the effects
of sin and we are seeing that
00:19:14.75\00:19:18.49
bleed into or
actually be a causative
00:19:18.49\00:19:21.16
of prophetic
fulfillment. That's a big deal.
00:19:21.16\00:19:24.43
JB Yes it is. I
wonder if we can talk about
00:19:24.43\00:19:26.06
the direct link, how we
get from cause to effect.
00:19:26.06\00:19:29.33
There we were in
the Garden of Eden,
00:19:29.33\00:19:30.80
everything was very perfect.
Eve and then Adam ate the fruit
00:19:30.80\00:19:34.47
that was offered
them by the serpent.
00:19:34.47\00:19:36.60
Things went on
pretty well, it seems.
00:19:36.60\00:19:38.91
Now God said things
are going to change.
00:19:38.91\00:19:41.91
For instance,
thorns were going to grow.
00:19:41.91\00:19:44.18
SC That's right. JB So thorns,
00:19:44.18\00:19:46.18
the direct result of sin.
SC Thorns are the direct result
00:19:46.18\00:19:48.92
of sin but this is also under
debate because God placed three
00:19:48.92\00:19:54.56
successive
curses upon the earth.
00:19:54.56\00:19:57.39
There is the curse of
Adam. We have to till,
00:19:57.39\00:20:00.06
sweat of your brow,
and thorns and thistles.
00:20:00.06\00:20:02.80
So would this curse
have come without sin?
00:20:02.80\00:20:05.97
No. Would thorns have come
00:20:05.97\00:20:09.14
without this curse? Well,
00:20:09.14\00:20:11.04
there's room for debate there
and I will leave that to the
00:20:11.04\00:20:12.81
theologians. But the two,
00:20:12.81\00:20:14.51
it's definitely one piece.
But then there is also the curse
00:20:14.51\00:20:17.35
of Cain where again the
productivity of the earth
00:20:17.35\00:20:19.91
is cursed. And
then there is the final
00:20:19.91\00:20:22.08
curse if you will, which
is not an explicit curse,
00:20:22.08\00:20:24.35
but what else could the flood be
called that turned a beautiful
00:20:24.35\00:20:28.76
and perfect world into a world
that is not productive the way
00:20:28.76\00:20:33.03
it used to be. JB One
thing I am interested in
00:20:33.03\00:20:35.26
is that you say,
very appropriately,
00:20:35.26\00:20:39.07
I believe, that it
is hard for us to really
00:20:39.07\00:20:40.94
gauge this as we
might because we only see
00:20:40.94\00:20:43.81
a very thin slice of the
pie owing to the fact that we
00:20:43.81\00:20:46.88
live on this earth such a
short time relative to its
00:20:46.88\00:20:49.38
longevity. What do
you think we would think
00:20:49.38\00:20:53.72
if we saw the
world before the flood?
00:20:53.72\00:20:57.35
SC I think we would be
heartbroken that we can't live
00:20:57.35\00:20:59.32
there now. I think
we would be so stunned
00:20:59.32\00:21:01.79
by the beauty and the
peacefulness and the security.
00:21:01.79\00:21:06.09
You know, the
earth that was created to
00:21:06.09\00:21:07.96
delight us daily
and astound us daily
00:21:07.96\00:21:11.50
and yet we have to live here.
Those who have hope would be
00:21:11.50\00:21:16.74
excited and those without hope
might gain hope through Christ.
00:21:16.74\00:21:21.68
But really, if we
knew what we were missing
00:21:21.68\00:21:23.18
out on, and we're talking earth,
00:21:23.18\00:21:24.55
not heaven, you know, we
are just talking the earth
00:21:24.55\00:21:27.02
and heaven is so
much more glorious.
00:21:27.02\00:21:28.45
If we knew what we
were missing out on,
00:21:28.45\00:21:29.85
I think we would have a very
difficult time just enduring
00:21:29.85\00:21:33.12
our lives here. JB The
signs around us tell us
00:21:33.12\00:21:36.93
Jesus is coming
back soon. SC Absolutely.
00:21:36.93\00:21:39.16
JB The environment says we are
headed in a certain direction.
00:21:39.16\00:21:42.33
It isn't good.
Scientists are trying.
00:21:42.33\00:21:45.33
Governments have treaties
and protocols and proposals
00:21:45.33\00:21:47.84
and so forth.
Nothing is working, is it?
00:21:47.84\00:21:50.47
SC No. The
consequences of sin must be
00:21:50.47\00:21:53.38
fully known so that
rebellion does not happen again.
00:21:53.38\00:21:56.61
We are told in Revelation that
Satan was in rebellion and took
00:21:56.61\00:22:00.68
his angels with him so
this can't happen again
00:22:00.68\00:22:03.79
and Christ says, you know,
00:22:03.79\00:22:05.02
these things must happen.
These things must take place.
00:22:05.02\00:22:08.29
So there is no fix. But look.
00:22:08.29\00:22:10.49
Here is the thing, you know,
00:22:10.49\00:22:12.83
and I have said it before.
Does our sense of urgency match
00:22:12.83\00:22:16.46
the current
situation? Are we fully awake?
00:22:16.46\00:22:19.70
Are we on our
"A" game for Christ?"
00:22:19.70\00:22:22.50
Are we working in a way that
the current situation calls for?
00:22:22.50\00:22:27.81
And no, we are pretty
much asleep as in Matthew 25.
00:22:27.81\00:22:31.68
JB There are certain things
environmental issues that we
00:22:31.68\00:22:33.68
might see in the world that
perhaps there are ... I don't
00:22:33.68\00:22:37.25
want to say solutions for ...
but other ways of doing things.
00:22:37.25\00:22:41.49
But there is something that
appears to get in the way very
00:22:41.49\00:22:44.03
often and that is
human greed which is sin.
00:22:44.03\00:22:48.53
SC Right. JB So if
we could only take sin
00:22:48.53\00:22:51.47
out of the picture we might
have ways to deal with certain
00:22:51.47\00:22:54.30
environmental issues,
certain environmental problems,
00:22:54.30\00:22:57.01
certain pollution issues.
But whenever somebody has
00:22:57.01\00:23:01.38
a dollar in the game, a
bottom line to protect, that
00:23:01.38\00:23:05.75
old greed instinct
kicks in. Self gets involved
00:23:05.75\00:23:09.55
rather than selflessness.
It seems as long as there are
00:23:09.55\00:23:13.29
people who are not committed
to Jesus and who are living for
00:23:13.29\00:23:16.86
their own self
rather than for Christ,
00:23:16.86\00:23:21.03
there is just no way out.
SC Well I think this is an
00:23:21.03\00:23:23.67
argument for why the earth has
to be recreated and why humans
00:23:23.67\00:23:30.27
are changed in the
twinkling of an eye.
00:23:30.27\00:23:32.84
Nothing that is tainted by sin
will make it into the new earth
00:23:32.84\00:23:37.58
and will make it into heaven.
I mean you talk of basically
00:23:37.58\00:23:41.18
the power of sin, the
power of sin to decay,
00:23:41.18\00:23:43.69
the power of sin to
destroy. We see it in the world
00:23:43.69\00:23:46.25
around us. We are
coming to the point,
00:23:46.25\00:23:47.99
even with our
short term observation,
00:23:47.99\00:23:50.06
that we can see it
in the natural world.
00:23:50.06\00:23:52.19
It has to be obliterated for us
to be able to return to an earth
00:23:52.19\00:23:57.87
that is not in decay.
JB The message is the earth
00:23:57.87\00:24:01.90
is going in one direction
but the good news about that is
00:24:01.90\00:24:05.64
that it is telling us
Jesus is coming back soon.
00:24:05.64\00:24:08.41
SC Absolutely. JB
Surely there is no more
00:24:08.41\00:24:10.21
important work we can do now
than to be ready for the Lord's
00:24:10.21\00:24:13.55
return. SC And this
is the big question.
00:24:13.55\00:24:15.95
Are we ready?
Really, this is where the
00:24:15.95\00:24:18.65
rubber meets the
road. We see the signs.
00:24:18.65\00:24:23.46
The earth is decaying. We
see prophecy being fulfilled.
00:24:23.46\00:24:27.23
We see the fullness of
sin, both in man and the earth.
00:24:27.23\00:24:31.13
Are we ready? Do we
know Jesus Christ as a
00:24:31.13\00:24:32.97
friend? Are we
ready to lean on him in
00:24:32.97\00:24:35.14
the days ahead? Are
we ready to embrace Him
00:24:35.14\00:24:38.51
when he returns? This
is the actual question.
00:24:38.51\00:24:41.91
JB Scott Christiansen,
it has been wonderful.
00:24:41.91\00:24:43.38
Thanks for taking
the time. SC My pleasure.
00:24:43.38\00:24:44.91
JB God bless you.
00:24:44.91\00:24:47.05
¤ [Pensive Interlude] ¤
00:24:48.12\00:24:52.82
It may be the greatest
promise in the whole Bible--
00:24:58.83\00:25:02.36
"I will come again!"
Jesus who died to save us
00:25:02.36\00:25:06.47
is preparing a place
for us and is coming soon
00:25:06.47\00:25:08.97
to take us there!
But such a promise raises
00:25:08.97\00:25:11.54
obvious questions, such
as: when will He return?
00:25:11.54\00:25:16.01
how will He return? and
how can I be sure I'm ready?
00:25:16.01\00:25:22.22
It's important to separate
fact from fiction, and I'd like
00:25:22.22\00:25:24.92
to send you a FREE booklet
that will walk you through
00:25:24.92\00:25:27.96
what the Bible says
about the return of Jesus.
00:25:27.96\00:25:30.66
It's called, "The
Second Coming of Jesus."
00:25:30.66\00:25:33.13
Just call (800)
253-3000 and ask for your copy
00:25:33.13\00:25:38.20
of "The Second Coming of
Jesus." If the line's busy,
00:25:38.20\00:25:41.74
please try again,
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00:25:41.74\00:25:44.44
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00:25:44.44\00:25:50.21
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00:25:50.21\00:25:53.58
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00:26:03.59\00:26:07.96
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Again, our toll- free
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00:26:10.50\00:26:15.50
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00:26:15.50\00:26:19.77
As we look around the world
it seems that there is no doubt
00:26:21.88\00:26:24.41
there are signs that ought
to alert us that Jesus is coming
00:26:24.41\00:26:27.32
back soon. The
question is: Are you ready?
00:26:27.32\00:26:31.72
When Jesus comes back,
will that be good news for you?
00:26:31.72\00:26:34.72
I hope so and he hopes so too.
Let's pray together than when
00:26:34.72\00:26:38.19
Jesus returns it will
be for us the best thing
00:26:38.19\00:26:41.03
that's ever
happened. ¤ [quiet melody] ¤
00:26:41.03\00:26:43.33
Our Father in heaven, thank
you that we have a hope, hope
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through all of the signs, hope
through the distress and decay,
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hope through an
environment which is creaking
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and waxing old, that
Jesus is coming back soon
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and I pray that when he
does He'll gather us together
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and take us with him.
Lord, there is just one thing
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and that is if
Jesus owns our heart.
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Friend, as we pray, would
you yield your heart to Jesus?
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Would you invite Him now to
be your Lord and your Savior?
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Would you let him
live His life in you?
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Father, please do those things
and we will look beyond the
00:27:12.16\00:27:15.13
decay of this world to
the hope we have in Jesus,
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to that wonderful
day when he comes back.
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Keep us until then, I
pray, in Jesus' name, Amen.
00:27:20.04\00:27:26.37
¤ [Musical Interlude] ¤
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I am very thankful
you joined us today.
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I look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:45.53\00:27:47.86
Until then,
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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¤ [Theme Music Swells] ¤
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