[hopeful anthem]
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I'm John Bradshaw,
and this is It Is Written.
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Thanks for joining me
today. This is Gettysburg,
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Pennsylvania, the site of
the Battle of Gettysburg, the
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most famous battle of
the American Civil War.
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Today, the old battlefields
of Gettysburg look a whole
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lot like they did a
century and a half ago.
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A lot of effort has
been taken to keeping the
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Gettysburg battlefields
in condition as original as
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possible. The
American Civil War lasted
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four years, from 1861 to 1865.
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Thousands of people perished
during the American Civil
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War, 700,000 is the number
that is often quoted today
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and several thousand
individuals died here at
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Gettysburg. Today,
we refer to the war as
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the American Civil War.
But down through time, it has
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been called a
number of different things.
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It was called the
war between the states.
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The South referred to it
as the war of succession.
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Immediately after the war,
the North called it the war
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of rebellion.
There's a lot of controversy
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over what actually
brought about the start of the
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American Civil War,
but the facts are these.
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Eleven southern states
declared their succession
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from the United States and
began to call themselves the
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Confederated States of
America or, The Confederacy.
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The remaining 25 states
remained loyal to the United
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States Government, and
they became known as The Union.
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After this split,
really, fighting was simply
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inevitable. One
fact most people will
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agree on is that slavery
was a central issue in the Civil
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War. The controversy became so
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intense, so hot, that it
brought about the end of some
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political parties, including
the Wigs and the No Nothing
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party. And it
caused the Democratic
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party to be split in
two, between the North and the
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South. But the violence wasn't
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contained only
to the battlefield.
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In fact, on the floor of
the US Senate, a South Carolina
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Congressman by the name
of Preston Brooks, violently
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assaulted a Republican
politician by the name of
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Charles Sumner. He
beat him so badly that he
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beat him almost to death.
The reason for this violent
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assault is that Sumner
insulted Southern slave
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owners and one of Brooks'
own relatives as referring to
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them as pimps for slavery.
At the start of the Civil
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War, there were 9 million
people living in the American
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South. Four million of them were
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slaves, almost
50% of the population.
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Slavery was a dark episode
in the history of the United
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States. Slavery has existed for
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thousands of years.
The Bible not only mentions
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slavery but it provides
guidelines as to how slaves
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should be treated.
And if a man smite his
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servant, his slave, or
his maid with a rod and he die
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under his hand, he shall
be surely punished and if he
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smite out his manservant's
tooth, or his maidservant's
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tooth, he shall let him
go free for his tooth's sake.
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That's Exodus 21: 26, 27.
Now let's not be confused by
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this and think that because
the Bible says that that God
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somehow approves of
slavery. God certainly does not.
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In fact, it says
this in Acts 17:24-26.
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God that made the world
and all things therein seeing
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that he is Lord of heaven
and earth, dwelleth not in
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temples made with hands,
neither is worshipped with
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men's hands as though he
needed anything, seeing he
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giveth life to all, and
breath and all things, and
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hath made of one blood all
nations of men for to dwell
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on all the face of the earth
and hath determined the times
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before appointed and the
bounds of their habitation.
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In fact, it was Jesus who
said in Luke 6:27-31, love
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your enemies, do good to
them which hate you, bless them
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that curse you and pray
for them which despitefully use
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you and unto him that smiteth
thee on the one cheek, offer
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also the other. And
him that taketh away thy
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cloak forbid not to
take your coat also.
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Give to every man that
asketh of thee, and of him that
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taketh away thy
goods, ask them not again.
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And as ye would that men
should do to you, do ye also
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to them likewise.
Unfortunately, many people
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during the Civil War
didn't see it that way.
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What's tragic is that
religious slave holders
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professed Christians used
the slavery guidelines found in
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the book of Exodus to say
that God actually supported
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slavery. President
Abraham Lincoln saw
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this for what it really was.
In a letter that he wrote to
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Reverend Dr. Ide, dated
May 30, 1864, he said this:
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"Those professedly holy men
of the South met in semblance
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of prayer and devotion and
in the name of Him who said 'as
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you would all men should do
unto you, do ye even so unto
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them', appealed to the
Christian world to aid them
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in doing to a whole race of
men as they would have no man
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do unto themselves. To
my thinking they contemned
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and insulted God and his
church, far more than did
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Satan when he tempted the
Saviour with the Kingdoms of
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the Earth." We can
thank God that slavery
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has been abolished.
Mauritania was the last
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country in the world to
abolish slavery and did so in
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1981. However,
because sin is what
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sin is, slavery still
exists. They say that because of
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human trafficking, there
are more slaves in the world now
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than at any other
time in human history.
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I'm here in Gettysburg, in
a store, a shop, that houses
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many Civil War artifacts,
including implements that we
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used in slavery. These
two items here that you
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see are collars worn
around the necks of slaves.
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They are genuine
and they were used.
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The protruding spikes are
there to discourage slaves
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from trying to escape.
If they tried to escape, the
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spikes would get caught
in underbrush or growth or
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branches or so on and
would lead to the slaves being
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recaptured which, of
course, would not be pretty.
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The LORD looked down from
heaven upon the children of
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men, to see if there were any
that did understand, and seek
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God. They are
all gone aside, they
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are all together become
filthy: there is none that
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doeth good, no, not one.
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[Music]
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We hear it all the
time- God is all-powerful!
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God is love! Yet in
the back of our minds,
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there lurks a question.
If God is so powerful and
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so loving, why is
there so much suffering?
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If there's a devil behind all
this, where did he come from?
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Now these are valid questions
and the Bible addresses them
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all. If you'd
like to see what the
00:09:07.21\00:09:09.21
Bible says on this subject,
let me send you a booklet called
00:09:09.21\00:09:11.35
“Why Does God Allow Suffering?”
It is absolutely free.
00:09:11.35\00:09:14.85
Just call 1 (800) 253-3000
and ask for "Why Does God
00:09:14.85\00:09:19.69
Allow Suffering."
If the line's busy,
00:09:19.69\00:09:21.92
do keep on trying. Or
write to: It Is Written,
00:09:21.92\00:09:24.86
P.O. Box 6,
Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37401,
00:09:24.86\00:09:29.06
and we'll mail a free copy to
your address in North America.
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It Is Written is a faith-based
ministry supported by people
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like you. Your help
makes it possible for
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us to share God's
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Your tax-deductible gift can
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screen, or you can support
us online at ItIsWritten.com.
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Thank you for your
continued prayerful support.
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Our toll-free number
is 1 (800) 253-3000, and
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our web address
is ItIsWritten.com.
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[fanfare]
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It's time for
today's Bible question.
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A friend of mine says we
need to keep the 10 commandments
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in order to go to heaven.
But my preacher says that the
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law was nailed to the cross
and because of Jesus, we no
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longer need to keep the
law. He said something about the
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law being an old covenant
and now since the cross, all we
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need is grace. Now
wouldn't that be a funny
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thing! Jesus telling people that
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it's okay to disobey him
now. Can you imagine that?
00:10:39.30\00:10:43.24
Jesus saying it's
okay to commit adultery?
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It's okay to steal.
It's okay to kill because we
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are under a new covenant.
If grace is a ticket for
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people to live spiritually
irresponsible lives, than
00:10:52.41\00:10:55.62
grace is something
we could do without.
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Let's be clear.
Salvation is given by grace
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through faith. It's free.
00:11:02.22\00:11:04.23
It's a gift. We
cannot earn it by our
00:11:04.23\00:11:06.86
obedience or anything else.
The gift of salvation is not
00:11:06.86\00:11:10.90
conferred based
upon our performance.
00:11:10.90\00:11:13.97
But let's balance that.
Look on the other side of the
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coin. What about
once a person has
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come to Jesus and
has received salvation.
00:11:18.87\00:11:21.64
How should they live
then? Jesus said this in John
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14:15. If you love me, keep my
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commandments. Saved
people will obey God
00:11:29.52\00:11:33.12
which isn't to say they
will never make mistakes, but
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their life is one
characterized by obedience
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and growing in obedience.
Love for God brings obedience
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into a person's life.
Revelation 14:12 describes
00:11:42.60\00:11:46.13
the saved when it says:
"Here are they that keep the
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commandments of God
and the faith of Jesus.
00:11:49.50\00:11:52.41
It isn't that their
commandment keeping earned
00:11:52.41\00:11:54.91
them salvation but because
Jesus had come into their
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lives, their lives became
lives of obedience, lives of
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honoring God. When
you love someone, you
00:12:02.08\00:12:04.79
want to please that someone
and it pleases God that we
00:12:04.79\00:12:07.76
obey him, that we
keep his commandments.
00:12:07.76\00:12:11.26
Look in the Bible. It
does not teach us that
00:12:11.26\00:12:14.00
grace means we are
free to run off and sin.
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It's because of grace that
we don't want to do that because
00:12:17.10\00:12:20.94
we know it hurts God.
If you have a question that
00:12:20.94\00:12:24.64
you would like
answered, go to our website:
00:12:24.64\00:12:26.64
itiswritten.com and
click on the "Questions" tab.
00:12:26.64\00:12:30.25
Submit your question and in
a future program, we might be
00:12:30.25\00:12:33.31
able to answer
your Bible question.
00:12:33.31\00:12:36.92
[fanfare]
00:12:37.55\00:12:40.09
You can't really have the
discussion about slavery in
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the United States of America
without mentioning the name
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Frederick Douglas.
Frederick Douglas was born
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a slave in Talbot
County, Maryland in 1818.
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Now because slave
mothers weren't allowed to raise
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their own children, he
never did know the exact date of
00:12:58.91\00:13:01.54
his birthday. When
he was about 12 years
00:13:01.54\00:13:04.51
old, his owners' wife
began to teach him the alphabet,
00:13:04.51\00:13:08.68
despite the fact it was
illegal to teach slaves how
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to read. Frederick Douglas would
00:13:11.42\00:13:13.42
describe her as a kind woman.
She said that she treated him
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the way one human
being ought to treat another.
00:13:17.46\00:13:20.43
Now, when the slave master
found out what was going on,
00:13:20.43\00:13:22.96
he strongly disapproved.
He said this must not happen.
00:13:22.96\00:13:26.70
Frederick must not learn
how to read because should a
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slave learn to read, why
then a slave would want to learn
00:13:29.24\00:13:32.11
to write. And
should a slave learn how
00:13:32.11\00:13:34.31
to right, then a slave would
be wanting his own freedom.
00:13:34.31\00:13:39.65
Later, Douglas described
these words as the first
00:13:39.65\00:13:43.25
decidedly antislavery
lecture that he would ever hear.
00:13:43.25\00:13:48.02
In spite of his owner's
discouragement, Frederick
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Douglas did learn to
read. He learned from white
00:13:50.39\00:13:53.53
children living in his
neighborhood and by looking
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at the written materials
owned by the men with whom he
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worked and then Douglas escaped.
00:13:58.83\00:14:02.57
He fled to New York and
he became an advocate for the
00:14:02.57\00:14:05.31
abolitionist movement and
once a free man, Frederick
00:14:05.31\00:14:09.41
Douglas had some very
interesting things to say
00:14:09.41\00:14:12.85
about slavery. "From my earliest
00:14:12.85\00:14:16.15
recollection, I date
the entertainment of a deep
00:14:16.15\00:14:19.82
conviction that slavery would
not always be able to hold me
00:14:19.82\00:14:23.46
within its foul embrace.
And in the darkest hours of
00:14:23.46\00:14:27.60
my career in slavery,
this living word of faith and
00:14:27.60\00:14:31.43
spirit of hope departed
not from me but remained like
00:14:31.43\00:14:35.60
ministering angels to
cheer me through the gloom.
00:14:35.60\00:14:40.04
It was as though Frederick
Douglas, even though he had
00:14:40.04\00:14:42.28
been raised to believe
that he was nothing more than
00:14:42.28\00:14:44.58
cattle, always suspected
that slavery was wrong.
00:14:44.58\00:14:47.88
It was something it seems
in the back of his mind that
00:14:47.88\00:14:50.55
always told him
that that was the case.
00:14:50.55\00:14:52.79
And do you think that
Douglas' case was unique or
00:14:52.79\00:14:55.46
did the other
slaves feel the same way?
00:14:55.46\00:14:58.33
Of course they did.
They had the reminders around
00:14:58.33\00:15:00.70
them all of the time as
to what their true condition
00:15:00.70\00:15:02.90
really was. They
were owned by somebody
00:15:02.90\00:15:05.47
else. They often
had irons weighing
00:15:05.47\00:15:07.60
them down. They
often felt whips cutting
00:15:07.60\00:15:10.44
into their backs and
they heard the cruel words of
00:15:10.44\00:15:12.71
their masters. They
recognized that they
00:15:12.71\00:15:15.44
were slaves because those
reminders were around them
00:15:15.44\00:15:18.58
all of the time.
Their lives told them what
00:15:18.58\00:15:21.35
they really were. But
you might be surprised to
00:15:21.35\00:15:25.02
know that there are
many people today who don't
00:15:25.02\00:15:27.16
realize that
they are in bondage.
00:15:27.16\00:15:29.59
In fact, you
might be one of them.
00:15:29.59\00:15:33.43
Find out more in just a moment.
00:15:33.43\00:15:37.37
[Music] Every
word is a one minute
00:15:38.00\00:15:39.80
Bible-based daily devotional
presented by pastor John
00:15:39.80\00:15:42.67
Bradshaw and designed
especially for busy people
00:15:42.67\00:15:45.57
like you. Look for
Every Word on selected
00:15:45.57\00:15:48.44
networks or watch it
on-line everyday on our website,
00:15:48.44\00:15:51.41
itiswritten.com.
00:15:51.41\00:15:54.02
[upbeat music]
00:15:55.62\00:16:01.89
Back in 1988 Presidential
Candidate George H W Bush
00:16:03.16\00:16:06.53
addressed a large audience at
his party's National Convention
00:16:06.53\00:16:10.40
and said, "Read my
lips, no new taxes."
00:16:10.40\00:16:15.47
That was a
promise, and he meant it.
00:16:15.47\00:16:18.21
But promises can be hard to
keep, and even politicians find
00:16:18.21\00:16:21.31
that on occasions their promises
can be harder to keep than they
00:16:21.31\00:16:24.88
thought when they made them.
Later, President Bush wanted to
00:16:24.88\00:16:28.12
reduce the budget deficit
and so some taxes were raised -
00:16:28.12\00:16:31.62
and the one-term President Bush
wasn't reelected - the broken
00:16:31.62\00:16:35.42
promise, many say, was a
a key factor in his defeat.
00:16:35.42\00:16:38.89
Many people make promises to God
and find they can't keep them.
00:16:38.89\00:16:42.53
"I'll do better, I won't do
that again, I'll never commit
00:16:42.53\00:16:45.93
that sin .... Ever again..."
00:16:45.93\00:16:47.97
- all promises that sound good
but are actually doomed to fail.
00:16:47.97\00:16:52.24
In Philippians 3:9 Paul wrote,
"and be found in Him, not having
00:16:52.24\00:16:57.25
my own righteousness, which is
from the law, but that which is
00:16:57.25\00:17:00.78
through faith in Christ, the
righteousness which is from God
00:17:00.78\00:17:04.95
by faith." Our
righteousness doesn't come
00:17:04.95\00:17:08.42
from us trying to do better.
Paul knew the righteousness
00:17:08.42\00:17:11.76
he needed was Christ's
righteousness, the only
00:17:11.76\00:17:14.86
righteousness that can
open the gates of heaven to us.
00:17:14.86\00:17:18.03
And Paul makes clear that
the only way he could get that
00:17:18.03\00:17:20.54
righteousness was through
faith, and not by trying harder.
00:17:20.54\00:17:24.77
I'm not saying there's no effort
involved in being a Christian,
00:17:24.77\00:17:27.41
because there certainly is.
But the greatest effort we can
00:17:27.41\00:17:30.25
make in our Christian experience
is the effort to surrender to
00:17:30.25\00:17:34.48
God, and allow Him to
make our heart His own.
00:17:34.48\00:17:37.99
If we can learn to yield to God,
to surrender, He'll give us His
00:17:37.99\00:17:41.09
righteousness - the only kind
of righteousness that will do us
00:17:41.09\00:17:44.39
any good. You can
make promises to God,
00:17:44.39\00:17:46.46
but it's better to
believe God's promises to you.
00:17:46.46\00:17:50.03
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:17:50.03\00:17:51.87
Let's live today by Every Word.
00:17:51.87\00:17:54.90
[Music] Planning for your
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aspect of Christian Stewardship.
00:17:58.91\00:18:02.01
For this reason, It Is Written
is pleased to offer free planned
00:18:02.01\00:18:05.01
giving and estate services.
For information on how we can
00:18:05.01\00:18:08.58
help you, please
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00:18:08.58\00:18:13.69
Call today or visit our special
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00:18:13.69\00:18:23.06
Frederick Douglas has said
that the pathway from slavery
00:18:24.73\00:18:27.37
to freedom is knowledge.
And he was absolutely right.
00:18:27.37\00:18:31.97
You know, there are so
many people in this world today
00:18:31.97\00:18:34.14
who are slaves but they
are unaware of their true
00:18:34.14\00:18:36.58
condition. They
are born into bondage
00:18:36.58\00:18:40.32
and unless the truth
reaches them, they will never be
00:18:40.32\00:18:43.65
free. Well, what
kind of slaves am
00:18:43.65\00:18:46.15
I talking about?
Jesus said this in John 8:34
00:18:46.15\00:18:50.36
to 36, Most assuredly I
say to you, whoever commits sin
00:18:50.36\00:18:56.90
is a slave of sin. And
a slave does not abide in
00:18:56.90\00:19:00.80
the house forever
but a son abides forever.
00:19:00.80\00:19:04.67
Therefore, if the Son makes
you free, you shall be free
00:19:04.67\00:19:08.11
indeed. Whoever
commits sin is the
00:19:08.11\00:19:11.91
servant or the slave of
sin. If we have sinned then we
00:19:11.91\00:19:17.25
have become slaves and
the Bible says that all have
00:19:17.25\00:19:20.36
sinned and have come
short of the glory of God.
00:19:20.36\00:19:23.89
But, here is the
thing. While most people would
00:19:23.89\00:19:26.33
recognize I have made a
mistake or two, most people
00:19:26.33\00:19:28.53
would not go that step
further and say that as a
00:19:28.53\00:19:31.07
sinner, I have become
enslaved, I am in bondage, I
00:19:31.07\00:19:34.10
am in chains. As a
sinner, I am the servant
00:19:34.10\00:19:38.51
or the slave of sin.
And the most dangerous thing
00:19:38.51\00:19:42.08
about this is that people
might be born into a world of
00:19:42.08\00:19:44.75
sin and think
that they are okay.
00:19:44.75\00:19:47.95
Yes, I stumble. Yes, I do this.
00:19:47.95\00:19:49.95
Yes, I err. I am faulty.
00:19:49.95\00:19:52.19
But I am okay.
When perhaps they are
00:19:52.19\00:19:56.56
anything but okay. We
have been talking about
00:19:56.56\00:20:00.33
the social climate in the
1800's that brought about the
00:20:00.33\00:20:02.96
conditions whereby people
accepted slavery and I know
00:20:02.96\00:20:06.90
many people that I have
spoken to have shaken their
00:20:06.90\00:20:09.20
head and they have said,
"how could people accept such an
00:20:09.20\00:20:12.41
atrocity as though it's okay."
00:20:12.41\00:20:15.14
Well, I'll tell you
this during the 1860's, the
00:20:15.14\00:20:18.61
churches of the South
signed a document stating their
00:20:18.61\00:20:22.78
support for slavery.
In an open letter to the
00:20:22.78\00:20:25.75
Christians of the world,
the leaders of the churches of
00:20:25.75\00:20:28.96
the confederacy wrote a
letter in which they said
00:20:28.96\00:20:31.43
this: "And we testify in
the sight of God, that the
00:20:31.43\00:20:35.66
relation of master and
slave among us, however we may
00:20:35.66\00:20:39.70
deplore abuses in this as
in other relations of mankind,
00:20:39.70\00:20:43.91
is not incompatible
with our wholly Christianity.
00:20:43.91\00:20:47.54
And that the presence of
the Africans of our land is an
00:20:47.54\00:20:50.11
occasion of gratitude
on their behalf before God.
00:20:50.11\00:20:54.88
Seeing that thereby Divine
providence has brought them
00:20:54.88\00:20:57.89
where missionaries of the
cross may freely proclaim to
00:20:57.89\00:21:01.06
them the word of
salvation and the work is not
00:21:01.06\00:21:04.19
interrupted by
agitating fanaticism.
00:21:04.19\00:21:07.30
The South has done more
than any people on earth for the
00:21:07.30\00:21:11.60
Christianization
of the African race."
00:21:11.60\00:21:14.67
Now this statement was not
made by some obscure group of
00:21:14.67\00:21:17.84
believers. This
was written and signed
00:21:17.84\00:21:21.64
by the leaders of the
Baptist, Methodist Episcopal,
00:21:21.64\00:21:25.21
Methodist Protestant,
Presbyterian, Lutheran and
00:21:25.21\00:21:29.25
German Reformed
Churches just to name a few.
00:21:29.25\00:21:33.46
Now in contrast to
this, listen to what Frederick
00:21:33.46\00:21:35.59
Douglas had to say
about Christian slave-owners.
00:21:35.59\00:21:39.73
I assert most unhesitatingly
that the religion of the South
00:21:39.73\00:21:43.26
is a mere covering for
the most horrid crimes,
00:21:43.26\00:21:47.04
a justifier of the
most appalling barbarity.
00:21:47.04\00:21:50.07
A sanctifier of the most
hateful frauds and a dark
00:21:50.07\00:21:53.31
shelter under which the
darkest, grossest and most
00:21:53.31\00:21:57.45
infernal deeds of
slaveholders find the strongest
00:21:57.45\00:21:59.78
protection, I should regard
being the slave of a religious
00:21:59.78\00:22:03.42
master the greatest
calamity that could befall me,
00:22:03.42\00:22:07.06
for all of the slaveholders
with whom I have ever met,
00:22:07.06\00:22:10.16
religious
slaveholders are the worst.
00:22:10.16\00:22:15.70
Now, let me make
something abundantly clear.
00:22:15.70\00:22:17.77
I'm not bringing any of this
up to be critical of anybody.
00:22:17.77\00:22:20.57
I am not trying to criticize
any religious groups and I
00:22:20.57\00:22:23.74
certainly am not trying
to throw the South under the
00:22:23.74\00:22:27.54
bus. But here's the point.
00:22:27.54\00:22:29.91
Here's what we really
have got to understand.
00:22:29.91\00:22:32.95
Without the power of God in
our lives, left to ourselves,
00:22:32.95\00:22:38.29
left in a state of being
the captives, the slaves of sin,
00:22:38.29\00:22:43.83
all we've got to look forward
to is lives of sin and anger
00:22:43.83\00:22:48.13
and malice and lust
and ....and slavery.
00:22:48.13\00:22:53.30
I know it's easy to look
back on the past and wag our
00:22:53.30\00:22:55.80
finger at those who come
before us and criticize them
00:22:55.80\00:22:58.54
for their ignorance,
and say "how could they?"
00:22:58.54\00:23:00.64
But the truth is
this. With a heart of stone.
00:23:00.64\00:23:04.15
Without the regenerating
power of the Holy Spirit in
00:23:04.15\00:23:06.78
our lives that's
what we are all like.
00:23:06.78\00:23:09.68
The bible says all have
sinned and have come short of
00:23:09.68\00:23:12.95
the glory of God.
But there is a way out.
00:23:12.95\00:23:16.69
No, it's not will-power.
No amount of will-power is
00:23:16.69\00:23:19.33
going to break the
chains that bind you in sin.
00:23:19.33\00:23:21.83
No pledge, no promise,
no accountability partner.
00:23:21.83\00:23:25.37
No, that's not
what gets the job done.
00:23:25.37\00:23:28.50
There's one way to get
out of the shackles of sin and
00:23:28.50\00:23:31.31
that's through Jesus.
Remember that verse we looked
00:23:31.31\00:23:34.01
at before, from John 8.
Therefore, if the Son of God
00:23:34.01\00:23:37.35
shall make you free,
you shall be free indeed.
00:23:37.35\00:23:40.55
Isaiah 43:11 says this:
"I, even I am the Lord, and
00:23:40.55\00:23:45.95
beside me, there is no other."
00:23:45.95\00:23:48.72
So, what do you do when
you find yourself living a life
00:23:48.72\00:23:50.73
where you say "There's no
power and I'm stuck in a rut,
00:23:50.73\00:23:53.06
I'm stuck in an old way,
I'm stuck someplace I don't want
00:23:53.06\00:23:56.43
to be." What do you do?
00:23:56.43\00:23:58.43
There's one thing to do.
When you find that sin has
00:23:58.43\00:24:01.87
the mastery over
you, call out to Jesus.
00:24:01.87\00:24:05.41
You can do that. No,
God is not some cosmic
00:24:05.41\00:24:08.31
cop with a big stick looking
to punish you or looking to
00:24:08.31\00:24:11.05
send you off to hell, if
that's what he was all about,
00:24:11.05\00:24:13.92
he could have
done that long ago.
00:24:13.92\00:24:15.92
Instead, the Bible says this
in John 3, not verse 16, but
00:24:15.92\00:24:19.32
verse 17. It says
this: For God did not
00:24:19.32\00:24:22.96
send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but
00:24:22.96\00:24:25.96
that the world
through him might be saved.
00:24:25.96\00:24:29.73
Paul wrote to Timothy, and
he said in 1 Timothy 1:15 that
00:24:29.73\00:24:33.74
Jesus Christ came into
the world to save sinners.
00:24:33.74\00:24:38.84
The writer of the book
of Hebrews said in Hebrews 7
00:24:38.84\00:24:41.48
that Jesus is able to save
to the uttermost those who come
00:24:41.48\00:24:45.55
to God through Him because
he lives to make intercession
00:24:45.55\00:24:48.35
for us. If you
desire a new life,
00:24:48.35\00:24:52.49
freedom from the old ways,
freedom from the old habits,
00:24:52.49\00:24:55.16
if you want that power that
comes from Jesus Christ, all
00:24:55.16\00:24:58.09
you need do is ask Jesus
to come into your life and he
00:24:58.09\00:25:02.06
will. It's as simple as that.
00:25:02.06\00:25:04.07
And then, when you are
tempted to put somebody else
00:25:04.07\00:25:06.67
down, when you are
tempted to engage injustice or
00:25:06.67\00:25:10.34
oppression, when you are
tempted to be drawn into that
00:25:10.34\00:25:14.34
old life again,
here's what you do.
00:25:14.34\00:25:16.48
You turn your eyes upon Jesus.
00:25:16.48\00:25:18.48
And the old song says "look
full in his wonderful face"
00:25:18.48\00:25:22.35
and when you do, you'll
experience a newness in our
00:25:22.35\00:25:25.59
life, a power in
your life. It's real.
00:25:25.59\00:25:28.82
You can experience it today.
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians
00:25:28.82\00:25:32.53
5:17, if anybody is in
Christ, that person becomes a
00:25:32.53\00:25:37.00
new creature. Old
things are passed away.
00:25:37.00\00:25:40.47
Behold, all things become new.
00:25:40.47\00:25:44.84
What do you want to be
made new in your life today?
00:25:44.84\00:25:47.68
Well, let me put
it another way ...
00:25:47.68\00:25:49.68
what are you a slave to?
What is keeping you down?
00:25:49.68\00:25:52.65
What is holding you
back? Is there something?
00:25:52.65\00:25:55.82
You can invite Jesus to take
that away and replace it with
00:25:55.82\00:25:58.35
the power of his presence
today, now, and he will do it
00:25:58.35\00:26:02.39
for you. Years
after Frederick Douglas
00:26:02.39\00:26:05.33
found his freedom, he
wrote these words: I have often
00:26:05.33\00:26:09.50
been asked how I felt when
first I found myself on free
00:26:09.50\00:26:13.34
soil and my readers may
share the same curiosity.
00:26:13.34\00:26:18.51
There was scarcely anything
in my experience about which
00:26:18.51\00:26:21.44
I could not give a
more satisfactory answer.
00:26:21.44\00:26:24.95
A new world had opened upon me.
00:26:24.95\00:26:27.68
If life is more than breath
and a quick round of blood, I
00:26:27.68\00:26:31.52
lived more in one day than
in a year of my slave-life.
00:26:31.52\00:26:35.99
It was a time of joyous
excitement, which words can
00:26:35.99\00:26:38.43
but tamely describe in a
letter written to a friend
00:26:38.43\00:26:41.90
soon after reaching New York,
I said, I felt as one might
00:26:41.90\00:26:45.37
feel upon escape from
a den of hungry lions.
00:26:45.37\00:26:48.90
Anguish and grief, like
darkness and rain, may be
00:26:48.90\00:26:52.24
depicted but gladness and
joy, like the rainbow, defy
00:26:52.24\00:26:57.81
the skill of pen or pencil.
Frederick Douglas experienced
00:26:57.81\00:27:02.05
freedom from slavery and
you can experience freedom from
00:27:02.05\00:27:07.06
the slavery of sin through
Jesus when you accept him
00:27:07.06\00:27:10.59
into your life.
Would you do that now?
00:27:10.59\00:27:13.80
Let's pray together.
Our Father in heaven, we
00:27:13.80\00:27:16.77
thank you today
for freedom in Jesus.
00:27:16.77\00:27:20.10
We thank you, Lord, that
through Christ, we can true
00:27:20.10\00:27:23.51
freedom, no longer the
servants or the slaves of sin
00:27:23.51\00:27:27.14
but the servants
only of the God of heaven.
00:27:27.14\00:27:29.94
We thank you for new
life. We accept it gratefully.
00:27:29.94\00:27:34.32
Lord, let your son Jesus
live his life in us and we pray
00:27:34.32\00:27:39.22
with thanks today
for freedom in you.
00:27:39.22\00:27:42.52
In Jesus' name, Amen.
00:27:42.52\00:27:47.03
[Music]
00:27:52.77\00:27:57.17
We hear it all the
time, 'God is all-powerful!
00:28:14.69\00:28:17.09
God is love!' If God
is so powerful and so
00:28:17.09\00:28:19.93
loving, why is
there so much suffering?
00:28:19.93\00:28:22.93
If you'd like to see what
the Bible says on this subject,
00:28:22.93\00:28:25.03
let me send you a booklet
called, "Why Does God Allow
00:28:25.03\00:28:27.50
Suffering?' free, just call:
00:28:27.50\00:28:30.41
1 (800) 253-3000 and ask for
"Why Does God Allow Suffering."
00:28:30.41\00:28:35.94
If the line's
busy, do keep on trying.
00:28:35.94\00:28:38.21
Or write to: It Is Written,
P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga,
00:28:38.21\00:28:41.92
Tennessee, 37401, and
we'll mail a free copy to
00:28:41.92\00:28:45.49
your address in North America.
It Is Written is a faith-based
00:28:45.49\00:28:48.79
ministry; and your support makes
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00:28:48.79\00:28:52.43
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Thank you for your continued
00:28:59.30\00:29:02.64
prayerful support.
Again, our toll-free number is
00:29:02.64\00:29:06.21
(800) 253-3000, and our
web address is ItIsWritten.com
00:29:06.21\00:29:13.01
Thanks for joining me today.
Look forward to seeing you
00:29:15.32\00:29:17.29
again next time.
Until then, remember,
00:29:17.29\00:29:19.62
It is written, man shall
not live by bread alone but by
00:29:19.62\00:29:23.69
every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.
00:29:23.69\00:29:27.20
[Music]
00:29:27.20\00:29:37.14