[gentle melody]
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This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me.
In 2015 - a 91-year-old
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Polish woman living in
a small town 2 1/2 hours
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southeast of
Warsaw, Poland's capitol,
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stopped breathing. Her
family called the doctor,
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the doctor rushed to
her home and examined her.
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He examined the breathing.
He checked for a pulse.
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He looked into her
eyes. And he declared that
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she was dead,
signed a death certificate,
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and the family began
preparing for a funeral.
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Except that, 11 hours later,
while the lady was in cold
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storage at a nearby
morgue, she revived.
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Her family
received her, as it were,
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back from the
dead. They took her home.
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She was alive and well. I
think of stories like that
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when I come here.
I'm in my hometown of
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Ngaruawahia, New Zealand.
In fact, I'm up on Havelock
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Hill, a small hill at
the town's southern entrance,
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known in New
Zealand's Maori language as
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Puke-i-aahua, that
was here that the town
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received its name. An
important feast was being
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held, somebody called out,
"Wahia ngarua" - open the food
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pits - and so Ngaruawahia
got its name like that.
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And from here up on Havelock
Hill you can look down into
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the town cemetery.
Growing up in a town like this,
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a town which now has
a population of 5,000,
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you get to know an
awful lot of people.
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I went to school here all
the way through high school.
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I went to church here. I
played for various sports
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clubs here and
different community things,
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very involved. And you
get to know an awful lot
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of people in a town like this.
And without exception, they all
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end up there. Or
somewhere very much like it.
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And in our town's little
cemetery you will find soldiers,
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former mayors of this
town, former teachers and former
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students, mums and dads,
grandmothers and grandfathers.
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People who died very old and
people who died painfully young.
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And I attended many funerals
while I was living here.
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As an altar boy at my local
church it was part of my duty
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to assist the
priest during such things.
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I got used to seeing people
experiencing painful grief.
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I saw their tears, I felt
their pain, and I learned,
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and it was reinforced in
my experience again and again
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and again, that
death is a tough thing.
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[Music]
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I often come here to remember,
to reflect, whenever I come
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home to my home
town, I always make a stop
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or two here. Some
people I knew well,
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some I just knew the family.
This lady, for example, I played
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football with her
son, that's rugby league,
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with her son when we were kids.
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She was a nice lady;
she died far too young.
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I went to high school with the
daughter of this lady and her
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husband, primary school
with that, well, that kid,
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he died at the age
of 29. Far too young.
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Family over there were
kind of an iconic family.
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My brother went to
high school with their son.
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And here, this is
where my dad is buried.
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Of course you remember your
dad's funeral, and I come here
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just, just to remember,
just because I think it's
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important somebody
should come by and show their
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respects to Dad. Just
over behind Dad, a young
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man who went to our
church school and who was in the
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same year as my
brother. Um, oh, young man.
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My brother's year in high
school, died young, something
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like 17 years old. Tragedy.
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And here, look at this, a
lady whose lawn I used to mow.
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I used to cut her grass
when I was a little kid.
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You know, I never,
ever knew her name was Mary.
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Not until today. How about that?
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And here she is. She
lived a good long life;
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she was a lovely lady.
And speaking of people whose
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grass I used to
cut, there's another lady
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right there. She
used to own a business in
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this town, um, well known,
well respected, her husband
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was just a
really, really lovely man.
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I remember mowing her grass just
like I was mowing it yesterday.
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Here, I didn't ever know this
man, but he evidently was the
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father-in-law of my
favorite schoolteacher ever.
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She married this man's son.
So I'm thinking he must have
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been, he must have been
okay. Who else do we see?
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Oh, look, I missed one I should
have mentioned back there.
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An opera singer, from our little
old town, an opera singer came,
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and he died far too young.
An immensely talented man.
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And then, oh, look,
I think it's over here.
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Is it over here? It is.
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This was tragic. A
17-year-old boy, right, young
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man, and his dad were traveling
to work together and they met
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with an accident on this road,
just about, oh, half a mile up
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there. Both perished.
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And the mom, she's
here, she died far too young.
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I think as
basically everybody does.
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Now, this is someone I never
knew, but I knew her husband.
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We played cricket
together in high school.
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And she passed away
young, the mother of two kids.
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Oh, just sad, you know,
there was some mourning there.
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Another lady whose grass I
cut when I was a child, being
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raised, it seems to me that
if I cut your grass you're going
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to end up here sooner or later.
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I don't know if that's a good
thing or a bad thing, or just
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a thing. And an
interesting thing about
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being buried in this cemetery
is that every now and then,
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something comes past that
you might think would raise
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the dead. Although,
interestingly enough,
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it never does.
These are people who are
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sleeping soundly.
So who else is there?
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Oh, over there, hard to
see. He was 30 years old.
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His son was a few years
behind me in elementary school.
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He died in a building accident.
Oh, imagine, the family getting
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news like that. Dad is dead.
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Or, your husband is
dead, there's been a terrible
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accident. Oh.
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The pain, the pain people
go through, all these people,
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all these lives ended.
It represents grief and
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suffering and
anguish and heartbreak.
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Ten-year-old kid, I don't
know the boy, but I knew his
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grandfather. Their
family was one of those
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iconic families in this
town. Oh, look over here; a lady
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whose paper I used to deliver,
she was once the mayor of
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this town. She was lovely.
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She lived a good long life,
but I don't think anybody's
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going to say she
lived long enough.
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You always want people
to live longer, don't you?
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I think you do.
And she was as sweet as
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anything, and she contributed
to this town in great ways.
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You know, when you see,
when you see a grave marker and
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it says "Aged 33 years,"
you know already this was a
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tragedy. Now, I
didn't know this guy very
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well, but I played football with
his younger brother, and he was
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a fantastic player. And
this young man, wow, 33.
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That was years and years
ago. You recognize family names.
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Some people you connected to,
some people you know very well,
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others, eh, not so well.
There's somebody over here,
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where is he? There, right there.
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This man used to own
the menswear store in town.
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The store was an
institution, it really was.
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Um, and I don't suppose I
ever knew him, but I went to the
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store. We spent a
lot of money in that
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store. We'd buy
sports clothing and
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school uniforms, and -
the clothing store's not there
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anymore, but, you
know, you just remember,
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he's somebody who
made a real impact.
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And if I'm not
mistaken, come over here.
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Come over here. It
doesn't read very well.
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Is this the one?
Yeah, this is the one.
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My grandmother, well, well,
strictly speaking, the woman
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who raised my dad.
There was no blood connection
00:09:07.51\00:09:11.61
there, but this is the closest
thing to a grandmother I ever
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had. She died
when I was too young to
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remember her, and so
I don't remember her.
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But I still come here just
to, I don't know, to remember
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what you can remember,
and to pay my respects.
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And I don't think it would be
a stretch to say that I am the
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only person in the universe
who ever pauses at this lady's
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gravestone. You
know, you'll read
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in cemeteries,
"Gone but not forgotten."
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Not always true. She
is gone and, but for three
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or four or five people in
my family, she's completely
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forgotten.
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Imagine that. Could
it really be that way?
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Could it really? I'm wondering.
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Is that what life's all about?
You live, you die, gone but not
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forgotten, but really gone and,
unless you're Abraham Lincoln
00:10:00.80\00:10:03.67
or somebody, forgotten?
Wouldn't life be futile if that
00:10:03.67\00:10:08.37
was the case? It
would be, wouldn't it?
00:10:08.37\00:10:10.94
There has to be more
than that. And there is.
00:10:10.94\00:10:13.51
Thank God there is.
God's got a good plan.
00:10:13.51\00:10:15.88
Tell you more about
it in just a moment.
00:10:15.88\00:10:18.28
It may be the greatest
promise in the whole Bible.
00:10:19.48\00:10:23.25
"I will come again."
Jesus, who died to save us,
00:10:23.25\00:10:26.79
is preparing a place for
us, and is coming soon to take
00:10:26.79\00:10:29.76
us there. But
such a promise raises
00:10:29.76\00:10:32.26
obvious questions, such as,
when will He return, how will
00:10:32.26\00:10:36.77
He return, and how
can I be sure I'm ready?
00:10:36.77\00:10:43.04
It's important to separate
fact from fiction, and I'd like
00:10:43.04\00:10:45.61
to send you a free
booklet. It's called
00:10:45.61\00:10:48.24
"The Second Coming of Jesus."
Just call 800-253-3000 and
00:10:48.24\00:10:53.65
ask for your copy of
"The Second Coming of Jesus."
00:10:53.65\00:10:56.95
If the line's busy,
please try again, or write to:
00:10:56.95\00:11:00.52
It Is Written, P O Box
6, Chattanooga, Tennessee,
00:11:00.52\00:11:04.26
37401. We'll mail
a free copy to your
00:11:04.26\00:11:07.40
address in North America.
Again, our toll-free number is
00:11:07.40\00:11:11.13
800-253-3000 and our web
address is ItIsWritten.com.
00:11:11.13\00:11:19.07
This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
00:11:23.41\00:11:25.61
And we're in my hometown
of Ngaruawahia, New Zealand.
00:11:25.61\00:11:29.45
If you look on a map,
you'll see it's not the
00:11:29.45\00:11:32.35
center of the universe.
But it was the center of my
00:11:32.35\00:11:35.12
universe for 20 years. I
was born in the next town up
00:11:35.12\00:11:39.29
the road, to be honest with you.
But please don't tell anyone.
00:11:39.29\00:11:43.00
That's where the
maternity hospital was.
00:11:43.00\00:11:45.27
The one in my hometown had
been closed down for a couple of
00:11:45.27\00:11:47.80
years before I was
born. But I grew up here,
00:11:47.80\00:11:51.31
went to church
here, went to school here,
00:11:51.31\00:11:54.44
learned to drive here,
had my first accident here,
00:11:54.44\00:11:57.61
swam in the river here,
worked here - you know how
00:11:57.61\00:12:01.02
it goes. And I
spent a lot of time here,
00:12:01.02\00:12:07.16
at the Rugby League Club. I
played on my first team when I
00:12:07.16\00:12:10.29
was 5 years old, and
I played here for years.
00:12:10.29\00:12:13.16
In fact, I vividly remember
scoring my first try, or what
00:12:13.16\00:12:17.47
in the United States we'd
call a touchdown, on that field
00:12:17.47\00:12:21.20
right there. In my
mind's eye I can see a
00:12:21.20\00:12:24.44
little boy with his bright
red hair and a black jersey,
00:12:24.44\00:12:27.88
carrying a ball that was
just about as big as himself,
00:12:27.88\00:12:30.65
running across...
in fact, I remember
00:12:30.65\00:12:32.91
what happened. A guy
pushed me from behind,
00:12:32.91\00:12:34.95
and instead of falling over,
I stumbled forward, put the
00:12:34.95\00:12:38.02
ball down across the
line right in front of, well,
00:12:38.02\00:12:40.52
where that brown fence is now.
00:12:40.52\00:12:42.76
Every weekend during the winter
months or the colder months of
00:12:42.76\00:12:45.59
the year, we would be here,
unless we weren't here because
00:12:45.59\00:12:47.50
we were playing
away at another club.
00:12:47.50\00:12:49.73
Lots of memories.
And memories of people.
00:12:49.73\00:12:53.54
Special people, a lot of
whom aren't here anymore.
00:12:53.54\00:12:56.87
I think of a coach we had when I
was 13 years old, Mr. McRoberts.
00:12:56.87\00:13:01.18
What a great man. He
loved us, at least, sure
00:13:01.18\00:13:04.51
seemed like he did.
But I know for certain that
00:13:04.51\00:13:07.02
we loved him. We'd
have done anything for him.
00:13:07.02\00:13:09.95
He cared about us; after a
practice two nights a week,
00:13:09.95\00:13:13.89
we'd pile into the back of
his brown pickup, his Ute, and
00:13:13.89\00:13:17.33
he'd drive all over the streets
of this town dropping off each
00:13:17.33\00:13:19.73
boy at his home. And
he was a man obviously
00:13:19.73\00:13:22.10
of faith. I
recall that he would pray
00:13:22.10\00:13:24.37
for us before every game.
And I remember Mr. McRoberts,
00:13:24.37\00:13:28.24
he would pray that "no
harm or danger may befall us."
00:13:28.24\00:13:32.74
Those are the exact words he
would use, and I remember them
00:13:32.74\00:13:34.91
all these years later. I
remember being huddled at
00:13:34.91\00:13:37.61
various spots around this ground
as Mr. McRoberts prayed for us.
00:13:37.61\00:13:41.48
Mr. McRoberts is
gone; I miss him,
00:13:41.48\00:13:44.79
I really do. Haven't
seen him for years and
00:13:44.79\00:13:46.35
years, but he
meant so much to me.
00:13:46.35\00:13:48.39
And I think, I think of
the older men, the old-timers,
00:13:48.39\00:13:50.53
well, people like my dad
and even men of his generation
00:13:50.53\00:13:54.13
and slightly over, men
who ran this club for many
00:13:54.13\00:13:56.67
years. The
old-timers are all gone too.
00:13:56.67\00:14:01.60
[soft but driving piano]
00:14:02.37\00:14:09.08
Let's look at a
couple of stories together.
00:14:10.45\00:14:12.21
I've been to a lot of funerals,
I've performed many funeral
00:14:12.21\00:14:14.48
services, but I've never
been to one quite like this.
00:14:14.48\00:14:18.12
This took place 8 or 9 miles
outside of Nazareth, the town
00:14:18.12\00:14:21.66
in which Jesus was raised.
Luke 7:11-15: "Now it happened,
00:14:21.66\00:14:28.73
the day after, that He went into
a city called Nain; and many of
00:14:28.73\00:14:34.17
His disciples went
with Him, and a large crowd.
00:14:34.17\00:14:37.91
And when He came near the gate
of the city, behold, a dead man
00:14:37.91\00:14:42.81
was being carried out,
the only son of his mother;
00:14:42.81\00:14:46.28
and she was a widow. And
a large crowd from the city
00:14:46.28\00:14:50.25
was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
00:14:50.25\00:14:52.99
He had compassion
on her and said to her,
00:14:52.99\00:14:55.26
'Do not weep.' Then
He came and touched the
00:14:55.26\00:14:58.53
open coffin, and those
who carried him stood still.
00:14:58.53\00:15:02.13
And He said,
'Young man, I say to you,
00:15:02.13\00:15:05.57
arise.' So he
who was dead sat up
00:15:05.57\00:15:09.84
and began to speak.
And He presented him to
00:15:09.84\00:15:13.24
his mother."
00:15:13.24\00:15:14.94
A cancelled
funeral. Can you imagine?
00:15:16.01\00:15:18.85
Incredible! Now,
there's a similar story
00:15:18.85\00:15:21.38
in Matthew chapter 9.
We'll pick it up in verse 23:
00:15:21.38\00:15:25.35
"When Jesus came into the
ruler's house, and saw the flute
00:15:25.35\00:15:28.82
players and the noisy
crowd wailing, He said to them,
00:15:28.82\00:15:33.36
'Make room, for the girl
is not dead, but sleeping.'
00:15:33.36\00:15:38.40
And they ridiculed Him.
But when the crowd was put
00:15:38.40\00:15:41.40
outside, He went in and took her
by the hand, and the girl arose.
00:15:41.40\00:15:47.78
And the report of this
went out into all that land."
00:15:47.78\00:15:52.11
As you might think it should.
Now, there were resurrections,
00:15:53.62\00:15:57.09
and these were very dead people,
as dead as anybody in the
00:15:57.09\00:16:02.22
cemetery. Now, what
made the difference?
00:16:02.22\00:16:04.89
Jesus said, "I
say to you arise."
00:16:04.89\00:16:08.43
He took her by the hand.
It was the voice of Jesus,
00:16:08.43\00:16:11.93
or the touch of
Jesus, that made the
00:16:11.93\00:16:14.90
difference. Now, I
used to kick goals here
00:16:14.90\00:16:18.01
on this field when I was a kid.
Let's see if I've still got it.
00:16:18.01\00:16:23.81
Legend. Still got it.
00:16:42.56\00:16:44.80
Back with more in just a moment.
00:16:44.80\00:16:47.64
[male narrator]
"Every Word" is a one-minute,
00:16:49.10\00:16:51.01
Bible-based, daily
devotional presented by
00:16:51.01\00:16:53.54
Pastor John Bradshaw
and designed especially
00:16:53.54\00:16:55.84
for busy people like
you. Look for "Every Word" on
00:16:55.84\00:16:59.58
selected networks, or watch it
online every day on our website,
00:16:59.58\00:17:02.82
ItIsWritten.com.
00:17:02.82\00:17:05.55
[Music] I read some fascinating
00:17:06.62\00:17:13.09
research that said that
people who become addicted
00:17:13.09\00:17:15.43
to smoking lose their
ability to choose for themselves
00:17:15.43\00:17:19.60
when it comes to smoking.
That's tragic, because one of
00:17:19.60\00:17:22.17
the greatest gifts God has given
the human family is freedom of
00:17:22.17\00:17:26.17
choice. Did you
know that there are
00:17:26.17\00:17:28.48
things that you can do that
affect your mind in such a way
00:17:28.48\00:17:32.31
that you no longer
have control of your mind?
00:17:32.31\00:17:35.22
That's one reason it's so
important to be careful about
00:17:35.22\00:17:37.82
what you put into
your body and mind.
00:17:37.82\00:17:40.82
It affects you in ways
that might surprise you.
00:17:40.82\00:17:43.16
Deuteronomy 30:19 is
where God said to Israel,
00:17:43.16\00:17:46.46
"I have set before you
life and death, blessing and
00:17:46.46\00:17:49.23
cursing; therefore, choose
life, that both you and your
00:17:49.23\00:17:52.43
descendents may live."
What are your choices doing
00:17:52.43\00:17:55.30
to you? Be sure
that all of your choices
00:17:55.30\00:17:57.84
are a choice for
life. I'm John Bradshaw for
00:17:57.84\00:18:01.38
It Is Written. Let's
live today by every word.
00:18:01.38\00:18:05.95
[Music] [water splashing]
00:18:07.28\00:18:20.86
Thanks for joining me
today on It Is Written.
00:18:21.80\00:18:24.67
People still come here today to
swim at what we used to call as
00:18:24.67\00:18:28.37
kids the "train crash."
The site got that name for a
00:18:28.37\00:18:32.31
very good reason. In
1912 a train line was built
00:18:32.31\00:18:36.81
connecting my home town with the
little coal-mining village of
00:18:36.81\00:18:40.42
Glen Massey. The
mines there used to produce
00:18:40.42\00:18:43.18
70,000 tons of coal a year.
And so there was a rail link
00:18:43.18\00:18:47.69
needed to get the coal from
Glen Massey to the marketplace.
00:18:47.69\00:18:51.83
Well, one wet spring day
in 1933, somehow a locomotive
00:18:51.83\00:19:00.40
and six train cars or
train carriages got away during
00:19:00.40\00:19:04.37
shunting at the
Glen Massey yards.
00:19:04.37\00:19:07.01
The train driver stayed on the
train for a couple of reasons:
00:19:07.01\00:19:11.21
one was to try to bring it under
control, and the other was so
00:19:11.21\00:19:13.48
that he could sound the whistle
so that anybody who might have
00:19:13.48\00:19:16.92
been in harm's
way could be alerted.
00:19:16.92\00:19:19.85
As the train came hurtling down
the track it got to one of the
00:19:19.85\00:19:23.46
22 bridges along the train
line, this one, the one over
00:19:23.46\00:19:27.20
Firewood Creek, as
long as a football field.
00:19:27.20\00:19:30.50
When it got to that bridge,
the train left the track and
00:19:30.50\00:19:34.80
plunged into the creek below.
00:19:34.80\00:19:37.91
But that brave
driver was killed instantly.
00:19:37.91\00:19:41.84
How about that? A
young man, a life, we would
00:19:41.84\00:19:44.11
presume, well lived, and
his life gone, just like that.
00:19:44.11\00:19:47.68
His name? It seems nobody knows.
00:19:47.68\00:19:50.85
None of the historical
references mention him
00:19:50.85\00:19:52.69
by name. But
there was another life
00:19:52.69\00:19:54.92
lived and then gone.
So a place like this is,
00:19:54.92\00:19:59.63
in essence, a memorial. We
like memorials, we appreciate
00:19:59.63\00:20:03.67
them. In my
hometown and in towns like
00:20:03.67\00:20:06.00
it all across the country, there
is a war memorial hall where
00:20:06.00\00:20:09.84
those who served their nation
are remembered and recognized.
00:20:09.84\00:20:13.04
And in a park in town,
there's a cenotaph, a monument,
00:20:13.04\00:20:16.81
recognizing those and
honoring those whose lives
00:20:16.81\00:20:19.28
were lost serving
their country abroad.
00:20:19.28\00:20:24.39
[Music] During
the first World War,
00:20:24.39\00:20:27.39
the Returned and Services'
Association was formed by
00:20:27.39\00:20:30.23
soldiers returning home. It
was formed to provide support
00:20:30.23\00:20:34.93
and comfort to service men
and women and their families.
00:20:34.93\00:20:38.27
Outside the RSA in my hometown,
the famous poem written by
00:20:38.27\00:20:43.27
Canadian
physician Lieutenant-Colonel
00:20:43.27\00:20:45.71
John McCrae is
displayed. [Trumpet]
00:20:45.71\00:20:51.11
In Flanders fields the poppies
blow Between the crosses,
00:20:51.11\00:20:54.55
row on row That mark our
place; and in the sky The larks,
00:20:54.55\00:21:00.39
still bravely
singing, fly Scarce heard
00:21:00.39\00:21:04.69
amid the guns
below. We are the Dead.
00:21:04.69\00:21:09.16
Short days ago We lived,
felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
00:21:09.16\00:21:15.00
Loved and were
loved, and now we lie
00:21:15.00\00:21:19.64
In Flanders
fields. Take up our quarrel
00:21:19.64\00:21:24.28
with the foe: To
you from failing hands
00:21:24.28\00:21:27.22
we throw The torch; be yours
00:21:27.22\00:21:30.19
to hold it high. If
ye break faith with us
00:21:30.19\00:21:32.99
who die We shall not
sleep, though poppies grow
00:21:32.99\00:21:37.69
In Flanders fields.
00:21:37.69\00:21:42.16
[trumpet continues] "We
are the dead," he wrote.
00:21:43.00\00:21:48.54
Well, of course, the dead
don't speak and the dead don't
00:21:48.54\00:21:50.51
write poems. But
they do speak to us
00:21:50.51\00:21:52.91
metaphorically. And the
Bible alludes to that in
00:21:52.91\00:21:56.18
several places. It
says this in Hebrews 11:4:
00:21:56.18\00:22:01.05
"By faith Abel offered unto God
a more excellent sacrifice than
00:22:01.05\00:22:06.35
Cain, by which he obtained
witness that he was righteous,
00:22:06.35\00:22:10.39
God testifying of his gifts:
and by it he being dead yet
00:22:10.39\00:22:16.00
speaketh."
Hebrews 11 contains an
00:22:16.00\00:22:20.17
outstanding array of
impressive Bible characters.
00:22:20.17\00:22:23.84
We read in there of Enoch and
Noah and Abraham, about Sarah
00:22:23.84\00:22:28.34
and Isaac and Jacob,
about Joseph and Moses.
00:22:28.34\00:22:31.88
The list goes on, and includes
luminaries such as Gideon,
00:22:31.88\00:22:35.42
David and Samuel.
And then the Bible says
00:22:35.42\00:22:39.45
something very impressive
about them, in Hebrews 11:39:
00:22:39.45\00:22:43.39
"And all these, having obtained
a good testimony through faith,
00:22:43.39\00:22:48.70
did not receive the promise."
There's a resurrection that must
00:22:48.70\00:22:54.34
take place. Paul
expressed that same thought
00:22:54.34\00:22:57.21
writing to the Thessalonians
in I Thessalonians 4,
00:22:57.21\00:23:01.24
starting in verse 13:
"But I do not want you
00:23:01.24\00:23:04.95
to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning those who have fallen
00:23:04.95\00:23:07.95
asleep, lest you sorrow
as others who have no hope.
00:23:07.95\00:23:13.86
For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again,
00:23:13.86\00:23:17.23
even so God will bring
with Him those who sleep
00:23:17.23\00:23:21.06
in Jesus. For this we say to you
00:23:21.06\00:23:24.13
by the word of the Lord,
that we who are alive and
00:23:24.13\00:23:27.37
remain until the coming
of the Lord will by no means
00:23:27.37\00:23:30.64
precede those who are asleep."
00:23:30.64\00:23:35.74
Now, that's the same thought
as is expressed in Hebrews 11.
00:23:35.74\00:23:39.41
But Paul here
elaborates on that.
00:23:39.41\00:23:42.08
We'll pick it up again in verse
16: "For the Lord Himself will
00:23:42.08\00:23:46.76
descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of an
00:23:46.76\00:23:50.09
archangel, and
with the trumpet of God.
00:23:50.09\00:23:53.46
And the dead in
Christ will rise first.
00:23:53.46\00:23:56.67
Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with
00:23:56.67\00:24:00.10
them in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the air.
00:24:00.10\00:24:03.81
And thus we shall
always be with the Lord."
00:24:03.81\00:24:09.28
And then the most wonderful
resurrection of them all:
00:24:09.28\00:24:12.98
the resurrection of Jesus.
Mary went to his tomb, and
00:24:12.98\00:24:16.79
she was asked this question:
"Why seek ye the living among
00:24:16.79\00:24:19.79
the dead? He is
not here, but risen."
00:24:19.79\00:24:23.79
The grave couldn't hold Jesus.
And that first Easter Sunday
00:24:23.79\00:24:27.60
morning he came forth
from the grave and now lives
00:24:27.60\00:24:30.60
forever. And you can too.
00:24:30.60\00:24:34.40
You see, if Jesus doesn't come
back first, we all must end up
00:24:34.40\00:24:37.77
in a place much like this.
But the Bible promises us that
00:24:37.77\00:24:42.41
when Jesus returns the
dead in Christ shall rise.
00:24:42.41\00:24:46.82
A character in one
of Shakespeare's plays
00:24:46.82\00:24:48.75
remarked thusly; he said,
"Death is a fearful thing."
00:24:48.75\00:24:53.15
Well, it need not be. If
one were to die in faith in
00:24:53.15\00:24:57.13
Jesus Christ, one dies in
the hope of the resurrection and
00:24:57.13\00:25:00.13
everlasting life. Life
on this Earth is so very
00:25:00.13\00:25:02.83
short. But with
Christ, life on this
00:25:02.83\00:25:05.50
Earth ultimately gives
way to everlasting life.
00:25:05.50\00:25:11.04
Imagine what it will be in
a place like this, when Jesus
00:25:11.04\00:25:13.17
comes back, and graves all
over these grounds open up, and
00:25:13.17\00:25:16.98
people come forth from the
grave immortalized, given the
00:25:16.98\00:25:21.25
gift of everlasting
life from Christ Himself.
00:25:21.25\00:25:24.45
And they'll live
forever, and they'll never die.
00:25:24.45\00:25:28.06
Friend, Jesus wants you to be
ready on that day, and you can
00:25:28.06\00:25:30.29
be, when you accept him
into your heart by faith as your
00:25:30.29\00:25:34.23
Lord and Savior. Let's pray.
00:25:34.23\00:25:39.53
Father in Heaven, we thank
you today that Jesus is the
00:25:39.53\00:25:42.17
resurrection and the life.
We're thankful that He's coming
00:25:42.17\00:25:46.44
back soon and that one day
the dead in Christ shall rise.
00:25:46.44\00:25:51.11
Friend, as we pray, I wonder
if Jesus is the resurrection and
00:25:51.11\00:25:55.18
the life for you. If
he isn't, make him so.
00:25:55.18\00:25:57.29
Do that now by
accepting Him by faith.
00:25:57.29\00:26:01.26
Ask Jesus to come into
your life, into your heart,
00:26:01.26\00:26:03.86
to live His life in
you, to forgive you of your
00:26:03.86\00:26:06.33
sins and to give you
the promise, the assurance
00:26:06.33\00:26:08.13
of everlasting
life. He'll do that now.
00:26:08.13\00:26:10.13
Father, we thank you for that,
that Jesus died for, for all.
00:26:10.13\00:26:15.57
We look forward to seeing Him
come back soon, and to eternity
00:26:15.57\00:26:19.71
with you. In
Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
00:26:19.71\00:26:25.85
[Music]
00:26:25.85\00:26:32.29
It may be the greatest
promise in the whole Bible:
00:26:37.86\00:26:41.66
"I will come again."
But when will He return?
00:26:41.66\00:26:45.40
How will He return? And
how can I be sure I'm ready?
00:26:45.40\00:26:51.34
It's important to separate fact
from fiction, and I'd like to
00:26:51.34\00:26:53.91
send you a free booklet that
will walk you through what the
00:26:53.91\00:26:57.25
Bible says about
the return of Jesus.
00:26:57.25\00:26:59.48
It's called "The
Second Coming of Jesus."
00:26:59.48\00:27:01.78
Just call 800-253-3000
and ask for your copy of
00:27:01.78\00:27:06.89
"The Second Coming of
Jesus." If the line's busy,
00:27:06.89\00:27:10.16
please try again, or write to:
00:27:10.16\00:27:12.43
It Is Written, P O Box
6, Chattanooga, Tennessee,
00:27:12.43\00:27:15.96
37401. We'll mail
a free copy to your
00:27:15.96\00:27:19.23
address in North America.
It Is Written is a faith-based
00:27:19.23\00:27:22.64
ministry and your support makes
it possible for us to share
00:27:22.64\00:27:26.11
God's Good News with the world.
Your tax-deductible gift can
00:27:26.11\00:27:30.18
be sent to the
address on the screen.
00:27:30.18\00:27:32.75
Or through our
website at ItIsWritten.com.
00:27:32.75\00:27:35.25
Thank you for your
continued prayerful support.
00:27:35.25\00:27:38.25
Again, our toll-free number
is 800-253-3000, and our web
00:27:38.25\00:27:43.09
address is ItIsWritten.com.
00:27:43.09\00:27:46.76
Thanks so much for joining
me. I look forward to seeing you
00:27:48.03\00:27:49.86
again next time.
Until then remember,
00:27:49.86\00:27:52.73
it is written: Man shall
not live by bread alone but
00:27:52.73\00:27:57.04
by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.
00:27:57.04\00:28:01.48
[music]
00:28:01.48\00:28:23.53