>>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:00:19.51\00:00:21.18 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:00:21.22\00:00:23.28 I'm at the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida, 00:00:23.32\00:00:27.49 about 45 miles in a straight line east of Orlando. 00:00:27.52\00:00:32.43 This is a very significant site for the United States 00:00:32.46\00:00:35.46 and for the world. 00:00:35.50\00:00:37.00 It was from here in 1961 that Alan Shepard launched 00:00:37.03\00:00:40.80 to become the first American ever in space. 00:00:40.84\00:00:43.94 July 16, 1969: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins 00:00:43.97\00:00:49.91 launched from here and into history. 00:00:49.94\00:00:53.55 History is being made at this place again and again and again. 00:00:53.58\00:00:57.89 Many space shuttle missions were launched from here 00:00:57.92\00:01:00.92 at the Kennedy Space Center. 00:01:00.96\00:01:03.02 There has been some tragedy involved 00:01:03.06\00:01:05.49 with the Kennedy Space Center, 00:01:05.53\00:01:07.13 but we remember the Kennedy Space Center 00:01:07.20\00:01:09.60 for real, considerable triumph. 00:01:09.63\00:01:12.47 ¤[Solemn, tense music]¤ 00:01:12.50\00:01:13.74 In 1957, the Soviet Union sent a small satellite into orbit. 00:01:13.77\00:01:19.47 Sputnik provoked the United States government 00:01:19.51\00:01:22.68 to dive headfirst into the space race. 00:01:22.71\00:01:26.15 Speaking to Congress on May 25, 1961, 00:01:26.18\00:01:29.48 President John F. Kennedy said: 00:01:29.52\00:01:31.35 >>John F. Kennedy: I believe that this nation 00:01:31.39\00:01:33.36 should commit itself to achieving the goal, 00:01:33.39\00:01:36.59 before this decade is out, 00:01:36.62\00:01:38.96 of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely 00:01:38.99\00:01:41.96 to the earth. 00:01:42.00\00:01:43.70 No single space project in this period 00:01:43.73\00:01:46.60 will be more impressive to mankind 00:01:46.63\00:01:49.00 or more important for the long-range exploration of space, 00:01:49.04\00:01:52.81 and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish. 00:01:52.84\00:01:57.41 But in a very real sense, 00:01:57.45\00:01:58.95 it will not be one man going to the moon. 00:01:58.98\00:02:02.15 We make this judgment affirmatively: 00:02:02.18\00:02:04.65 It will be an entire nation, 00:02:04.69\00:02:07.02 for all of us must work to put him there. 00:02:07.06\00:02:09.09 >>Man: Four, three, two, one, zero. 00:02:09.12\00:02:13.50 [deep rumbling] All engines running. 00:02:13.53\00:02:16.00 We have a liftoff, liftoff on Apollo 11. 00:02:16.03\00:02:19.30 >>John Bradshaw: Just eight years after that speech, 00:02:19.33\00:02:21.64 after about 76 hours in space 00:02:21.67\00:02:24.24 and after traveling 240,000 miles, 00:02:24.27\00:02:27.61 Apollo 11 reached the moon's lunar orbit. 00:02:27.64\00:02:31.21 On July 20, 1969, 00:02:31.25\00:02:33.52 astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human 00:02:33.55\00:02:36.72 to step on the surface of the moon, announcing... 00:02:36.75\00:02:39.82 >>Neil Armstrong: That's one small step for man, 00:02:39.85\00:02:42.82 one giant leap for mankind. 00:02:42.86\00:02:47.23 >>John: But there are some people who believe 00:02:48.20\00:02:50.03 that the moon landing didn't happen. 00:02:50.07\00:02:52.43 They believe that Neil Armstrong did not walk on the moon. 00:02:52.47\00:02:55.50 Not Armstrong, they say, nor Buzz Aldrin, 00:02:55.54\00:02:58.41 nor Pete Conrad, Alan Bean, 00:02:58.44\00:03:00.61 Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, 00:03:00.64\00:03:02.28 David Scott, James Irwin, 00:03:02.31\00:03:04.28 John Young, Charles Duke, 00:03:04.31\00:03:06.11 Gene Cernan, or Harrison Schmitt. 00:03:06.15\00:03:09.28 There are people who believe the entire thing is a hoax. 00:03:09.32\00:03:13.05 They'll tell you that that global television audience 00:03:13.09\00:03:15.32 that watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon actually didn't. 00:03:15.36\00:03:19.56 A 1999 Gallup poll found that, at that time, 00:03:19.59\00:03:23.26 6% of Americans believed that the moon landing was faked. 00:03:23.30\00:03:27.50 You'd have to think that with the influence of the internet, 00:03:27.54\00:03:30.24 that number today is much higher. 00:03:30.27\00:03:32.51 In fact, it's reported that in some countries 00:03:32.54\00:03:35.51 as much as 25% of the population does not believe 00:03:35.54\00:03:39.98 the moon landing happened. 00:03:40.02\00:03:41.88 ¤[Mysterious music]¤ 00:03:41.92\00:03:44.45 So how could that be? We've all seen the pictures. 00:03:44.49\00:03:48.26 Neil Armstrong claimed to have walked on the moon. 00:03:48.29\00:03:51.49 Astronauts from six Apollo missions were there. 00:03:51.53\00:03:55.06 Did they all lie? 00:03:55.10\00:03:57.80 Simply not possible. 00:03:57.83\00:04:00.60 Well, it's been said that the lighting in a certain photo 00:04:02.17\00:04:05.17 couldn't have been possible, and therefore it's all a hoax. 00:04:05.21\00:04:09.81 People protest about the lack of stars in the sky 00:04:09.84\00:04:12.81 or the lack of visible exhaust fumes. 00:04:12.85\00:04:15.62 And they ask why the American flag in the film 00:04:15.65\00:04:18.32 taken of Armstrong and Aldrin's time on the moon 00:04:18.35\00:04:21.89 appears to be fluttering in the wind. 00:04:21.92\00:04:25.53 It's often said that what people saw on TV at the time 00:04:26.33\00:04:29.26 was all filmed on a soundstage somewhere and was faked. 00:04:29.30\00:04:35.60 Faked so that the United States could win the space race 00:04:35.64\00:04:38.81 and to distract attention from the Vietnam War. 00:04:38.84\00:04:43.71 I wanted to talk to an expert about space. 00:04:43.75\00:04:47.12 Dr. Don Thomas qualifies as just that. 00:04:47.15\00:04:49.82 Like Neil Armstrong, he's from the state of Ohio, 00:04:49.85\00:04:52.95 and he's a veteran of four space shuttle missions. 00:04:52.99\00:04:57.19 Dr. Thomas, thanks very much for taking the time. 00:04:58.19\00:05:00.33 I appreciate it greatly. 00:05:00.36\00:05:01.56 >>Dr. Don Thomas: Very welcome. I'm honored to be here with you. 00:05:01.60\00:05:03.60 >>John: Tell me when you first got this urge, the desire, 00:05:03.63\00:05:06.07 or maybe the realization "I'm going to be an astronaut"? 00:05:06.10\00:05:08.84 >>Dr. Thomas: I remember that day very well. 00:05:08.87\00:05:10.34 It was May 5th, 1961. 00:05:10.37\00:05:12.87 That was the day we launched the first American into space 00:05:12.91\00:05:15.54 from Cape Canaveral here. 00:05:15.58\00:05:17.18 And, uh, in my elementary school-- 00:05:17.21\00:05:19.31 and I was only in kindergarten at the time-- 00:05:19.35\00:05:21.42 they brought all of us to our gymnasium, we sat on the floor, 00:05:21.45\00:05:24.39 and I watched that launch on a small black-and-white TV, 00:05:24.42\00:05:27.76 and as soon as Alan Shepard was in space, 00:05:27.79\00:05:29.99 I remember sitting there saying, "I wanna do that." 00:05:30.03\00:05:32.89 So that was the day, uh, that was the inspirational moment 00:05:32.93\00:05:36.13 that forever changed my life. 00:05:36.16\00:05:37.73 I knew that's what I wanted to do. 00:05:37.77\00:05:40.34 >>John: So one day you were sitting in a, 00:05:40.37\00:05:42.27 in a vehicle much like the one behind us here, 00:05:42.30\00:05:45.11 and you were thinking, "I'm about to go. I'm about..." 00:05:45.14\00:05:48.98 Describe that feeling. 00:05:49.01\00:05:50.45 >>Dr. Thomas: It's, it's really amazing. 00:05:50.48\00:05:51.88 I remember the night before my first launch, 00:05:51.91\00:05:54.25 I went out to the launch pad around midnight, 00:05:54.28\00:05:56.22 and I'm just staring up at the space shuttle there, 00:05:56.25\00:05:59.12 and I couldn't believe where I was and what I was about to do, 00:05:59.15\00:06:02.79 knowing like 12 hours from right now 00:06:02.82\00:06:05.39 I'll be inside that thing blasting off. 00:06:05.43\00:06:08.00 So on launch morning, um, 00:06:08.03\00:06:09.76 there's a little bit of, uh, of fear, I, I will say. 00:06:09.80\00:06:13.27 You know, I'm a little scared-- 00:06:13.30\00:06:14.34 "Boy, I hope we make it up there"-- 00:06:14.37\00:06:16.14 but mainly just 99 percent is just like, "I want to do this. 00:06:16.17\00:06:19.64 This is the dream of my life. 00:06:19.67\00:06:21.44 I've trained for four years for this moment. 00:06:21.48\00:06:23.65 I want to be a part of exploration 00:06:23.68\00:06:25.71 and part of the space program." 00:06:25.75\00:06:27.55 So it is a huge adrenaline rush. 00:06:27.58\00:06:30.12 And when I heard the engines firing, 00:06:30.15\00:06:32.69 and I could feel the shaking and vibration, 00:06:32.72\00:06:35.16 a few seconds later I felt the push in my back, 00:06:35.19\00:06:37.89 which had indicated we had taken off. 00:06:37.93\00:06:40.06 Once you feel that push, there is no turning back. 00:06:40.10\00:06:42.76 You're going somewhere that day. 00:06:42.80\00:06:44.70 And I remember I had my helmet on, visor down, 00:06:44.73\00:06:47.24 nobody in the world could hear me, 00:06:47.27\00:06:48.60 and I'm screaming inside my helmet, 00:06:48.64\00:06:50.31 "Ya-hoo! Let's go!" 00:06:50.34\00:06:52.14 'Cause this is the dream of my life; 00:06:52.17\00:06:54.01 it's taking place right in front of your eyes. 00:06:54.04\00:06:56.44 Such an incredible moment. 00:06:56.48\00:06:57.88 >>John: Describe for me the experience of being in space. 00:06:57.91\00:07:03.25 You're in a fairly confined space, 00:07:03.28\00:07:05.95 but what's the, even maybe some of the mundane things, 00:07:05.99\00:07:08.96 but what's that experience like, 00:07:08.99\00:07:10.36 that day-to-day experience of circling the earth up there? 00:07:10.39\00:07:14.10 >>Dr. Thomas: Yeah, yeah, we work on a 24-hour day up there, 00:07:14.13\00:07:16.63 just like we do here on earth. 00:07:16.67\00:07:17.93 They give us seven or eight hours to sleep. 00:07:17.97\00:07:20.04 You get an hour for lunch, an hour for dinner, 00:07:20.07\00:07:21.94 an hour to exercise. 00:07:21.97\00:07:23.37 The rest of the day you're very busy working on experiments 00:07:23.41\00:07:26.54 or whatever is the objective of your mission. 00:07:26.57\00:07:29.48 And the inside of the space shuttle is quite small. 00:07:29.51\00:07:32.15 Our crew compartment is, uh, 00:07:32.18\00:07:34.38 about the size of your kitchen at home. 00:07:34.42\00:07:36.22 It's not a large area, 00:07:36.25\00:07:37.45 and you'll have seven people in there for, you know, 16 days. 00:07:37.49\00:07:41.49 That was the longest that I was up there. 00:07:41.52\00:07:43.49 So there was always somebody bumping into you. 00:07:43.53\00:07:45.23 No matter what you're doing, somebody is right there. 00:07:45.26\00:07:48.30 So for me, 00:07:48.33\00:07:49.46 I, I enjoy, at home, going for a walk around the block, 00:07:49.50\00:07:53.10 just getting out a little bit, and in space you can't do that. 00:07:53.13\00:07:56.94 So when I wanted to, uh, just get away 00:07:56.97\00:07:59.34 and have a little quiet time, I would go to the window, 00:07:59.37\00:08:02.51 put in some headphones, just listen to some music, 00:08:02.54\00:08:05.08 and I would be in my own little world there. 00:08:05.11\00:08:07.45 But, uh, the day-to-day routine up there is very busy. 00:08:07.48\00:08:11.15 Shuttle missions were only two weeks long, 00:08:11.19\00:08:13.66 so the pace was very, uh, quick. 00:08:13.69\00:08:16.16 I mean, we had a full schedule of, of what we had to do. 00:08:16.19\00:08:19.63 There was never big breaks of time where you could just 00:08:19.66\00:08:22.53 hang out at the window for hours and hours. 00:08:22.56\00:08:24.47 The day is very scheduled; 00:08:24.50\00:08:27.20 every minute of your day is pretty much scheduled up there. 00:08:27.24\00:08:30.44 >>John: There'd be no one more familiar 00:08:30.47\00:08:32.24 with the moon landing conspiracies than you-- 00:08:32.27\00:08:34.24 or maybe somebody--but as an astronaut, you've heard it all. 00:08:34.28\00:08:36.71 Let me ask you this: 00:08:36.75\00:08:38.05 Did you ever hear, ever hear 00:08:38.08\00:08:40.98 a single moon landing conspiracy theory that made you say, "Hmm"? 00:08:41.02\00:08:45.82 Did you ever hear even-- you've heard them all, 00:08:45.85\00:08:48.06 the, the fluttering flag and not enough light for the photograph 00:08:48.09\00:08:50.56 and the no radiation after going through 00:08:50.59\00:08:52.53 the Van Allen belt and all of that. 00:08:52.56\00:08:54.63 Did any single thought or suggestion ever stop, 00:08:54.66\00:08:58.73 cause you to stop and go, "Yeah, got a point there"? 00:08:58.77\00:09:01.14 >>Dr. Thomas: Uh, I've never heard a good argument like that, 00:09:01.17\00:09:03.64 and, uh, I think maybe it was seven or eight years ago, 00:09:03.67\00:09:07.01 we had the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft 00:09:07.04\00:09:09.88 orbiting the moon, and they, this spacecraft passed over 00:09:09.91\00:09:13.58 the lunar landing sites-- I think from 15 or 20 miles up-- 00:09:13.62\00:09:17.12 and photographed them. 00:09:17.15\00:09:18.92 You can see the descent stage of the lunar modules on the moon. 00:09:18.95\00:09:23.09 You can't see the individual footprints of the astronauts, 00:09:23.12\00:09:26.66 but you can see a trail as if they walked through deep snow, 00:09:26.70\00:09:29.90 and they left a trail behind them. 00:09:29.93\00:09:31.57 You can see that on the moon. 00:09:31.60\00:09:33.50 So the, like, you can go to each of the landing sites and say, 00:09:33.54\00:09:36.77 yeah, this is, Neil Armstrong walked to this crater, 00:09:36.81\00:09:39.64 looked in there. 00:09:39.67\00:09:40.78 You can see the trail with his footprints. 00:09:40.81\00:09:43.68 So that is just overwhelming evidence for me; 00:09:43.71\00:09:46.72 like, yes, for sure we went to the moon. 00:09:46.75\00:09:48.88 Go take a look at the pictures, you know. 00:09:48.92\00:09:51.02 Uh, you'll see that. 00:09:51.05\00:09:51.95 So, I firmly believe we went to the moon, 00:09:51.99\00:09:54.36 and I have not heard any, not even a shred of evidence 00:09:54.39\00:09:57.53 that, that would make me pause and think, 00:09:57.56\00:09:59.53 hmm, maybe, maybe they have something. 00:09:59.56\00:10:01.16 >>John: Because, of course, the strange thing is, if we didn't, 00:10:01.20\00:10:03.60 you've got hundreds of thousands of people who worked on it, 00:10:03.63\00:10:06.37 on the, on moon missions, 00:10:06.40\00:10:07.80 12 astronauts who walked on the moon, 00:10:07.84\00:10:11.17 and people like you who flew, 00:10:11.21\00:10:13.17 who must all be part of the hoax. 00:10:13.21\00:10:16.78 How does that make you feel on a personal level 00:10:16.81\00:10:19.35 when you know that someone therefore 00:10:19.38\00:10:20.78 is looking at somebody like you with "NASA" on your shirt, 00:10:20.82\00:10:23.28 saying, "Eh, you're part of the problem"? 00:10:23.32\00:10:25.39 >>Dr. Thomas: You know, it, uh, there's no convincing somebody 00:10:25.42\00:10:28.42 who doesn't want to believe that we went to the moon. 00:10:28.46\00:10:31.13 There's no convincing them. 00:10:31.16\00:10:33.23 In a similar vein, there's no convincing anybody 00:10:33.26\00:10:35.26 who believes the earth is flat. 00:10:35.30\00:10:37.13 There's nothing I can say that'll convince them 00:10:37.17\00:10:39.70 that the earth is round. 00:10:39.73\00:10:41.07 And so I, I try not to engage too much. 00:10:41.10\00:10:43.34 I don't want to argue with anybody 00:10:43.37\00:10:44.81 about did we go to the moon or not. 00:10:44.84\00:10:46.51 If you want to believe we did not go to the moon, 00:10:46.54\00:10:49.01 I'm okay with that. 00:10:49.04\00:10:50.25 If you want to believe the earth is flat, I'm okay with that. 00:10:50.28\00:10:54.02 I don't think they're founded on, on good science 00:10:54.05\00:10:56.82 or, or, uh, you know, the data, the facts at all. 00:10:56.85\00:11:00.06 But if, if individuals want to believe that, have at it. 00:11:00.09\00:11:03.46 >>John: Why do you think it is that today, 00:11:03.49\00:11:05.49 uh, there's an increasing, it seems, 00:11:05.53\00:11:08.20 it seems, an increasing amount of chatter about this? 00:11:08.23\00:11:11.23 >>Dr. Thomas: Yeah, it's, it's a mystery, 00:11:11.27\00:11:13.44 but I, I think it's from, uh, 00:11:13.47\00:11:15.60 just distrust of governments anymore. 00:11:15.64\00:11:18.21 We see that around the world, you know-- 00:11:18.24\00:11:19.74 "We don't trust your government." 00:11:19.77\00:11:21.18 Uh, "All the reports are fake news." 00:11:21.21\00:11:23.55 Uh, so a lot of people just think, 00:11:23.58\00:11:25.11 "Well, those pictures of the landing are fake. 00:11:25.15\00:11:28.18 The pictures of Neil Armstrong's footprints on the moon are fake. 00:11:28.22\00:11:31.52 Everything is fake." 00:11:31.55\00:11:32.59 This is "fake." I'm "fake"-- it gets out of hand. 00:11:32.62\00:11:36.73 So I think it comes just from distrust, distrust of authority, 00:11:36.76\00:11:41.66 distrust of government sometimes. 00:11:41.70\00:11:43.73 Um, I'm not, I'm not sure it's exactly well-placed. 00:11:43.77\00:11:47.24 >>John: It didn't seem like it at the time, 00:11:47.27\00:11:50.67 but when you look back, 00:11:50.71\00:11:52.41 the first space shuttle flight was really pretty close in time 00:11:52.44\00:11:58.15 to the moon landing flight. 00:11:58.18\00:12:00.35 We're just talking about essentially a few years. 00:12:00.38\00:12:04.19 So to be able to go from that to the space shuttle 00:12:04.22\00:12:08.16 leaving the earth, coming back, 00:12:08.19\00:12:10.79 circling the earth numerous times, 00:12:10.83\00:12:14.10 it would seem the technological leap was vast, 00:12:14.10\00:12:18.17 but in time, the step was really very short. 00:12:18.20\00:12:22.07 Talk to me about the technology that made machines 00:12:22.10\00:12:25.34 like this possible in an age, looking back, 00:12:25.37\00:12:29.61 that was pretty technologically archaic. 00:12:29.64\00:12:31.45 >>Dr. Thomas: Yeah. 00:12:31.48\00:12:32.35 >>John: There were no cell phones then. 00:12:32.38\00:12:33.45 There weren't really personal computers to speak of. 00:12:33.48\00:12:35.72 How did we do this? 00:12:35.75\00:12:37.05 >>Dr. Thomas: You know, the, if you look at the computer age, 00:12:37.09\00:12:39.05 we went from, uh, big UNIVAC computers 00:12:39.09\00:12:42.99 that took up a full room of an office building 00:12:43.02\00:12:46.03 to small Compaq, uh, personal laptop computers, 00:12:46.06\00:12:50.77 you know, in 20 years or so. 00:12:50.80\00:12:52.67 And, and a lot of that technology really helped enable, 00:12:52.70\00:12:55.77 you know, the space shuttle program. 00:12:55.80\00:12:57.51 We started building the space shuttles. 00:12:57.54\00:12:59.14 They got, this program was approved in 1972 00:12:59.17\00:13:02.24 while we were still landing on the moon. 00:13:02.28\00:13:04.41 I think the Congress approved it 00:13:04.45\00:13:05.95 during the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission. 00:13:05.98\00:13:08.75 So they started working on this. 00:13:08.78\00:13:10.59 It's pretty old technology by today's standards, 00:13:10.62\00:13:13.89 um, but still this is an amazing vehicle. 00:13:13.92\00:13:16.83 I think, uh, it, it's going to be hard to top a vehicle 00:13:16.86\00:13:20.36 like this for going to space any time soon. 00:13:20.40\00:13:23.50 >>John: In a moment, the greatest conspiracy of them all. 00:13:24.00\00:13:27.37 It's real, and it's all around you. 00:13:27.40\00:13:30.41 That's next. 00:13:30.44\00:13:31.77 ¤[Music]¤ 00:13:31.81\00:13:38.85 >>John: It's a question that many people have asked, 00:13:40.68\00:13:42.78 and it's a good question and deserves a good answer: 00:13:42.82\00:13:45.62 Can God be trusted? 00:13:45.65\00:13:47.62 Find out what the Bible has to say. 00:13:47.66\00:13:49.29 Our free offer is "Can God Be Trusted?" 00:13:49.32\00:13:52.66 Call us on 800-253-3000 00:13:52.69\00:13:56.23 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 00:13:56.26\00:14:01.07 800-253-3000. 00:14:01.10\00:14:04.24 Call right now or visit us at iiwoffer.com. 00:14:04.27\00:14:09.88 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 00:14:11.91\00:14:14.55 I'm John Bradshaw. 00:14:14.58\00:14:16.18 You know, at the end of the day it probably doesn't hurt anyone 00:14:16.22\00:14:19.49 to believe whatever they want to believe on this. 00:14:19.52\00:14:22.76 But there's a greater conspiracy that really is going on. 00:14:22.79\00:14:25.56 It's happening right before our eyes. 00:14:25.59\00:14:28.03 And it's one that people are missing. 00:14:28.06\00:14:30.17 And we shouldn't be missing it. 00:14:30.20\00:14:31.53 Missing it will hurt you. 00:14:31.57\00:14:34.10 To miss this one is to fail to understand 00:14:34.14\00:14:36.20 why much of what we see in the world is actually happening. 00:14:36.24\00:14:39.94 And it's fitting we talk about space 00:14:39.97\00:14:42.94 because this conspiracy got its start in deep, deep space. 00:14:42.98\00:14:48.82 We've identified this conspiracy yet earlier in this series, 00:14:48.85\00:14:52.29 but I'll tell you what it is. 00:14:52.32\00:14:53.76 Long, long ago in a place far, far away, 00:14:53.79\00:14:57.49 a perfect angel decided he wanted to receive 00:14:57.53\00:15:00.23 the worship that only God is entitled to. 00:15:00.26\00:15:03.77 Isaiah 14:13 and 14, 00:15:03.80\00:15:06.17 "I will ascend into heaven, 00:15:06.20\00:15:07.94 I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; 00:15:07.97\00:15:11.64 I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, 00:15:11.67\00:15:14.68 in the sides of the north: 00:15:14.71\00:15:16.24 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; 00:15:16.28\00:15:20.08 I will be like the Most High." 00:15:20.12\00:15:22.85 He came to earth and beguiled Eve, the Bible says. 00:15:23.52\00:15:27.89 Paul wrote of Adam's transgression. 00:15:27.92\00:15:30.76 One of their sons murdered another. 00:15:30.79\00:15:33.13 Planet Earth was in free fall. 00:15:33.16\00:15:35.63 So here we are 6,000 years after creation. 00:15:35.66\00:15:38.13 The world is sick. The world is skeptical. 00:15:38.17\00:15:41.54 Morally, society hasn't only fallen off a cliff; 00:15:41.57\00:15:45.34 there's no shortage of people or institutions or even churches, 00:15:45.37\00:15:48.78 if we're honest, who are willing to usher unsuspecting people 00:15:48.81\00:15:52.28 in the direction of the precipice. 00:15:52.31\00:15:54.68 Someone says, "The moon landing never happened." 00:15:54.72\00:15:57.25 Who are you going to check with? 00:15:57.29\00:15:58.79 Well, you could ask astronauts who were there. 00:15:58.82\00:16:01.56 While I'm standing here, 00:16:01.59\00:16:02.96 astronauts Aldrin, Scott, Duke, and Schmitt are all still alive, 00:16:02.99\00:16:07.23 so you could ask them, 00:16:07.30\00:16:09.20 or people who worked on the mission 00:16:09.23\00:16:11.20 or someone at NASA or the US Air Force 00:16:11.23\00:16:13.64 or scientists or historians or...on and on and on. 00:16:13.67\00:16:17.94 But in this colossal battle between good and evil, 00:16:17.97\00:16:22.44 where do you go for authoritative answers? 00:16:22.48\00:16:25.78 There's only one place, and that's the Bible. 00:16:25.81\00:16:29.85 The Bible is the Word of God. It was inspired by God. 00:16:29.88\00:16:33.92 Paul wrote to Timothy 00:16:33.96\00:16:35.16 that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God." 00:16:35.19\00:16:38.83 "But wait!" someone just cried out. 00:16:38.86\00:16:40.76 "The Bible itself saying it is inspired is self-serving, 00:16:40.80\00:16:44.57 unreliable." 00:16:44.60\00:16:45.63 Ah, but "wait!" back. 00:16:45.67\00:16:47.44 It's not that the Bible says the Bible is inspired; 00:16:47.47\00:16:50.71 God says the Bible is inspired. 00:16:50.74\00:16:53.11 Fulfilled prophecy indicates the Bible is inspired, 00:16:53.14\00:16:56.08 and fulfilled prophecies are everywhere. 00:16:56.11\00:16:59.38 Zechariah wrote ahead of time that Jesus would be sold 00:16:59.41\00:17:02.75 for 30 pieces of silver. 00:17:02.78\00:17:05.12 The same prophet wrote that Jesus would ride 00:17:05.15\00:17:07.66 into Jerusalem on a donkey. 00:17:07.69\00:17:09.69 Daniel wrote and said when Jesus would be anointed 00:17:09.72\00:17:12.33 as the Messiah. 00:17:12.36\00:17:13.60 He wrote about the rise and the fall of great world kingdoms, 00:17:13.63\00:17:17.03 and they all rose and fell just as he said they would. 00:17:17.07\00:17:20.47 Noah said it would rain, and it rained and rained. 00:17:20.50\00:17:24.37 Isaiah said a virgin would conceive. 00:17:24.41\00:17:26.51 He said Jesus would be despised and rejected. 00:17:26.54\00:17:30.11 He wrote that a man named Cyrus, Cyrus the Great, 00:17:30.15\00:17:33.52 the king of Persia, would deliver God's people, 00:17:33.55\00:17:36.99 and he wrote about him 150 years or so before Cyrus was born. 00:17:37.02\00:17:41.96 We could continue. 00:17:41.99\00:17:43.43 David wrote about the crucifixion of the Messiah 00:17:43.46\00:17:45.86 in excruciating detail in Psalm 22. 00:17:45.89\00:17:49.36 Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem, 00:17:49.40\00:17:52.13 His own crucifixion, that Peter would deny Him, 00:17:52.17\00:17:55.20 and that Judas would betray Him. 00:17:55.24\00:17:57.64 If you're looking for a reliable guide, it's the Bible, 00:17:57.67\00:18:02.61 and in this battle it's what God calls us to lean on. 00:18:02.64\00:18:07.02 David said we should hide God's Word in our heart. 00:18:07.05\00:18:10.22 Jesus urged us to live 00:18:10.25\00:18:11.62 "by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." 00:18:11.65\00:18:15.22 And why is that? 00:18:15.26\00:18:16.66 Because it's reliable and it's true, 00:18:16.69\00:18:19.73 and in an age where skepticism urges distrust 00:18:19.76\00:18:22.96 and where postmodernism posits that you're fine 00:18:23.00\00:18:25.43 believing whatever you want to believe-- 00:18:25.47\00:18:27.27 "I have my truth; you have your truth"-- 00:18:27.30\00:18:30.04 there must be something that will help you 00:18:30.07\00:18:31.87 cut through confusion and deceptions. 00:18:31.91\00:18:35.04 And that, well, that can only be the Word of God. 00:18:35.08\00:18:40.32 I'll have more in just a moment. 00:18:40.35\00:18:41.65 ¤[Music]¤ 00:18:41.68\00:18:49.46 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 00:18:50.46\00:18:52.46 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 00:18:52.49\00:18:55.86 To support this international life-changing ministry, 00:18:55.90\00:18:59.07 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 00:18:59.10\00:19:03.37 You can send your tax-deductible gift 00:19:03.41\00:19:04.84 to the address on your screen, 00:19:04.87\00:19:06.31 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 00:19:06.34\00:19:10.15 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 00:19:10.18\00:19:12.98 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 00:19:13.01\00:19:17.15 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 00:19:17.19\00:19:20.16 >>John: It was like a ticking time bomb 00:19:21.16\00:19:23.06 just waiting to explode. 00:19:23.09\00:19:24.89 And when it did, a city was plunged into chaos; 00:19:24.93\00:19:28.73 a town was completely destroyed. 00:19:28.76\00:19:31.10 More than 300 people were left dead 00:19:31.13\00:19:33.97 and thousands left homeless. 00:19:34.00\00:19:36.17 It remains one of the nation's least-known atrocities, 00:19:36.20\00:19:39.77 yet it was one of the most destructive race riots 00:19:39.81\00:19:42.41 in United States history. 00:19:42.44\00:19:44.65 Join It Is Written on location in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 00:19:44.68\00:19:48.78 for "Black Wall Street," 00:19:48.82\00:19:50.95 as we look at the problem of evil. 00:19:50.99\00:19:54.02 We'll investigate the destruction of a community 00:19:54.06\00:19:56.59 and ask some searching questions. 00:19:56.62\00:19:58.59 How can this happen? And who would do such a thing? 00:19:58.63\00:20:02.56 How do "good people" commit truly wicked acts? 00:20:02.60\00:20:05.93 "Black Wall Street" will take you there, 00:20:05.97\00:20:07.94 to the very streets where evil reared its ugly head 00:20:07.97\00:20:11.17 in a way not often seen. 00:20:11.21\00:20:13.54 Don't miss "Black Wall Street" 00:20:13.58\00:20:16.08 on It Is Written TV. 00:20:16.11\00:20:18.45 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today 00:20:21.28\00:20:22.98 on It Is Written. 00:20:23.02\00:20:24.22 A few moments ago, I told you that there must be something 00:20:24.25\00:20:26.96 that could help you to, to cut through confusion 00:20:26.99\00:20:29.86 and even deception, 00:20:29.89\00:20:30.93 and that that something has to be the Word of God. 00:20:30.96\00:20:34.10 Now, before you think I'm suggesting that you'll be fine 00:20:34.10\00:20:36.67 as long as you believe just like me, 00:20:36.70\00:20:39.00 that's not my point, and that's the beauty of the Bible. 00:20:39.03\00:20:42.20 In old times, people couldn't access the Bible. 00:20:42.24\00:20:45.61 Until the time of the Reformation, 00:20:45.64\00:20:47.01 the Bible was kept out of the hands of the people 00:20:47.04\00:20:49.28 by a church trying to maintain its own hegemony, 00:20:49.31\00:20:52.98 its control over people. 00:20:53.01\00:20:54.98 Then the Bible became more accessible, 00:20:55.02\00:20:57.12 and now it's so accessible it's easy enough for a person 00:20:57.15\00:20:59.89 to take hold of a Bible and read it for herself or himself. 00:20:59.92\00:21:03.89 You don't need someone to tell you what to believe. 00:21:03.93\00:21:06.49 You can read God's personal communication with you, 00:21:06.53\00:21:10.00 pray for His guidance, 00:21:10.03\00:21:11.47 and God will reveal Himself and His Word to you. 00:21:11.50\00:21:15.20 That's not to say you shouldn't listen to another person 00:21:15.24\00:21:17.44 or sit in a congregation. 00:21:17.47\00:21:19.07 Sure, that's fine. 00:21:19.11\00:21:20.74 But you don't need to cede the spiritual authority 00:21:20.78\00:21:23.75 for your life to somebody else. 00:21:23.78\00:21:26.51 The Bible is God's first line of communication to you. 00:21:26.55\00:21:32.02 One survey recently reported that the number of Americans 00:21:32.05\00:21:35.82 who identify as having no religion 00:21:35.86\00:21:38.99 has risen by 266% since 1991, 00:21:39.03\00:21:44.97 and that "nones," as they're called, 00:21:45.00\00:21:47.67 are greater in number than Catholics or Protestants. 00:21:47.70\00:21:51.67 That's in spite of the fact that today you can buy a Bible 00:21:51.71\00:21:54.81 at a dollar store. 00:21:54.84\00:21:56.91 Even so, less people than ever are reading the Bible. 00:21:56.95\00:22:00.85 Paul wrote that "the time will come 00:22:00.88\00:22:03.25 when they will not endure sound doctrine." 00:22:03.28\00:22:06.29 Second Timothy 4, verse 3. 00:22:06.32\00:22:08.99 It seems that time has come. 00:22:09.02\00:22:12.49 The Bible turns you in the direction of God. 00:22:12.53\00:22:15.13 It presents a loving Savior, 00:22:15.16\00:22:17.23 One who died for you so you can live eternally. 00:22:17.27\00:22:20.54 The Bible presents the love of God. 00:22:20.57\00:22:23.47 But there's an enemy who has succeeded in turning people away 00:22:23.51\00:22:27.21 from the best news ever 00:22:27.24\00:22:29.58 so that they instead would believe a lie. 00:22:29.61\00:22:32.15 Well, what could be better than eternal life? 00:22:32.18\00:22:34.15 Look around at what people are doing. 00:22:34.18\00:22:35.88 The answer seems to be apparently a lot. 00:22:35.92\00:22:39.39 What could be better than love as the basis for your existence? 00:22:39.42\00:22:42.49 Of course, nothing. 00:22:42.52\00:22:44.39 But there's a devil who's convinced multitudes 00:22:44.43\00:22:46.83 that God isn't good, that God isn't loving, 00:22:46.86\00:22:49.93 that God's ways are not worth bothering with. 00:22:49.96\00:22:53.74 Essentially, the human family has replaced God with itself. 00:22:53.77\00:22:58.37 When you reject God's guidance to rely on your own, 00:22:58.41\00:23:00.98 you've made yourself your own god. 00:23:01.01\00:23:03.68 The wise man wrote, 00:23:03.71\00:23:05.35 "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, 00:23:05.38\00:23:08.82 but the end thereof are the ways of death." 00:23:08.85\00:23:12.45 Proverbs 16:25. 00:23:12.49\00:23:14.82 There were false teachers in the days of Jesus 00:23:15.36\00:23:18.43 and in the time of the early Christian church. 00:23:18.46\00:23:21.13 There have been false teachers throughout the Christian era, 00:23:21.16\00:23:24.30 and no doubt they exist today. 00:23:24.33\00:23:26.53 And when you look into the Bible, 00:23:26.57\00:23:27.87 you see in Revelation chapter 14 00:23:27.90\00:23:29.54 a time of real crisis coming for the world. 00:23:29.57\00:23:33.11 Daniel wrote that there's going to come "a time of trouble, 00:23:33.14\00:23:35.91 such as never was since there was a nation." 00:23:35.94\00:23:38.51 Daniel 12, verse 1. 00:23:38.55\00:23:40.32 And John wrote in Revelation 14 that before things wrap up 00:23:40.35\00:23:44.25 here on Planet Earth, 00:23:44.29\00:23:46.29 there'll be a call go out to everyone in the world, 00:23:46.32\00:23:50.26 a warning message, 00:23:50.29\00:23:51.96 a warning message that covers what we could reduce 00:23:51.99\00:23:54.66 to three main points: 00:23:54.73\00:23:56.73 The third is a warning against receiving the mark of the beast. 00:23:56.77\00:24:00.47 The second is a pronouncement that Babylon has fallen. 00:24:00.50\00:24:05.27 And the first contains very strong encouragement 00:24:05.31\00:24:09.28 to worship Christ, to worship the Creator. 00:24:09.31\00:24:13.15 As Revelation chapter 14:7 says, 00:24:13.18\00:24:15.68 to "worship Him that made heaven, and earth, 00:24:15.72\00:24:18.65 and the sea, and the fountains of waters." 00:24:18.69\00:24:21.56 See what that comes back to? 00:24:22.09\00:24:23.86 It comes back to worship, 00:24:23.89\00:24:24.93 which is where this battle between sin and evil, 00:24:24.96\00:24:27.40 between Christ and Satan began. 00:24:27.46\00:24:29.96 Worship. 00:24:30.00\00:24:31.23 How do you avoid the mark of the beast? 00:24:31.27\00:24:33.37 How do you avoid false worship? 00:24:33.40\00:24:35.44 How do you worship Christ and not Antichrist? 00:24:35.47\00:24:39.31 It's right there in the Word of God. 00:24:39.34\00:24:41.01 If the Bible is your guide, you'll stand. 00:24:41.04\00:24:44.51 You'll be kept by the power of God. 00:24:44.55\00:24:47.08 But step away from the Bible, 00:24:47.12\00:24:49.08 build not on the rock but on the sand, 00:24:49.12\00:24:52.42 and as Jesus taught in the parable, 00:24:52.45\00:24:54.99 your fall will be great. 00:24:55.02\00:24:58.16 How is it with you and God's Word? 00:24:58.19\00:24:59.69 Are you reading it? 00:24:59.73\00:25:00.96 Are you fortifying your mind with its message? 00:25:01.00\00:25:03.63 Are you receiving from God on a daily basis? 00:25:03.67\00:25:06.50 Is, is Jesus coming to you through the Word of God? 00:25:06.53\00:25:10.24 What are you relying on? What's strengthening you? 00:25:10.27\00:25:14.74 My prayer is that you'll find your strength 00:25:14.78\00:25:17.85 in the Word of God. 00:25:17.88\00:25:19.58 >>John: It's a question that many people have asked, 00:25:20.82\00:25:23.25 and it's a good question and deserves a good answer: 00:25:23.28\00:25:25.99 Can God be trusted? 00:25:26.02\00:25:28.06 Find out what the Bible has to say. 00:25:28.09\00:25:29.49 Our free offer is "Can God Be Trusted?" 00:25:29.52\00:25:33.09 Call us on 800-253-3000 00:25:33.13\00:25:36.43 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 00:25:36.46\00:25:41.40 800-253-3000. 00:25:41.44\00:25:44.57 Call right now or visit us at iiwoffer.com. 00:25:44.61\00:25:50.35 >>John Bradshaw: There's a conspiracy raging. 00:25:51.35\00:25:54.78 Satan is undermining the government of God, 00:25:54.82\00:25:57.42 the authority of God, the place of God, 00:25:57.45\00:26:00.49 so that ultimately he'll receive the worship of the world. 00:26:00.52\00:26:04.33 You can see all around you just how much success he's having. 00:26:04.36\00:26:07.73 But don't let yourself be dragged into a web of deception 00:26:07.76\00:26:10.40 and destruction. 00:26:10.43\00:26:11.87 Make the Bible your strength and your guide today. 00:26:11.90\00:26:16.30 Let's pray together. 00:26:16.34\00:26:17.61 ¤[Soft music]¤ Our Father in heaven, 00:26:17.64\00:26:20.31 we thank You that You've given us Your sacred Word, 00:26:20.34\00:26:22.38 Your Holy Word. 00:26:22.41\00:26:24.55 And we pray that You'd give us grace to live 00:26:24.58\00:26:26.35 according to Your Word. 00:26:26.38\00:26:27.98 Not to treat it as a set of rules we must keep, 00:26:28.02\00:26:31.12 but to recognize it as an expression of Your will, 00:26:31.15\00:26:33.82 of Your character. 00:26:33.86\00:26:35.89 And to understand by experience that when Jesus lives His life 00:26:35.92\00:26:39.23 in us, He will do in us what we could never do ourselves. 00:26:39.26\00:26:44.23 Friend, if you have sins that need to be forgiven, 00:26:44.27\00:26:46.97 open your heart to God now. 00:26:47.00\00:26:48.17 Say, "Lord, forgive me." He'll forgive you. 00:26:48.20\00:26:50.64 If there's weakness in your life, 00:26:50.67\00:26:51.81 invite Jesus to be your strength. 00:26:51.84\00:26:54.78 If you're walking with Jesus right now, 00:26:54.81\00:26:57.05 then we can recommit your life to Him in this very moment. 00:26:57.08\00:27:01.85 If you've been distant from God, far from God, 00:27:01.88\00:27:03.99 never come to God, then would you do so now? 00:27:04.02\00:27:07.89 Take Jesus as your Lord. 00:27:07.92\00:27:09.92 Let His Word be your guide and your strength. 00:27:09.96\00:27:11.99 Father, take our hearts; make us Your own. 00:27:12.03\00:27:16.40 In this moment there are many people becoming Your children 00:27:16.43\00:27:19.53 for the very first time, others recommitting themselves to You. 00:27:19.57\00:27:23.24 Now keep and bless and grow each of us 00:27:23.27\00:27:26.91 so that when Jesus returns, when this thing is done, 00:27:26.94\00:27:30.41 we will be with You throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. 00:27:30.45\00:27:34.92 Let it be so, we pray and thank You, in Jesus' name. 00:27:34.95\00:27:39.15 Amen. 00:27:39.19\00:27:40.32 Thank you for joining me. 00:27:40.36\00:27:41.42 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 00:27:41.46\00:27:43.59 Until then, remember: 00:27:43.63\00:27:45.46 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 00:27:45.49\00:27:48.70 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 00:27:48.73\00:27:53.97 ¤[Theme music]¤ 00:27:54.00\00:28:01.51