>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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¤[dramatic music]¤
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There's no other place
like it in the entire world.
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People flock here from
all around the planet--
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pilgrims, many of them.
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They come to walk
where Jesus walked,
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to see places
spoken of in the Bible,
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to see where Jesus died,
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or, just a few miles away in
Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.
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Unlike some
historic sites in the world,
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there's no doubt that
this one is legitimate.
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Jesus, the Son
of Mary and Joseph,
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the Son of David, the
Son of God lived here.
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Now, He didn't spend as much
time here as many people think.
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Matthew 9:1 describes
Capernaum as Jesus' own city.
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It was there in Capernaum on the
north side of the Sea of Galilee
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and in other places nearby
that Jesus cast out demons,
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healed the mother of Peter,
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healed the man who was lowered
through the roof of that home.
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It was in Galilee that many
of the disciples were called.
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Some were fisherman, and they
fished on the Sea of Galilee.
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It was there, 70 miles from
Jerusalem in a straight line--
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and, of course, much further
if you walked, like Jesus did--
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that Jesus walked on water,
that Peter walked on water,
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that Jesus calmed the storm.
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When Jesus spoke of
the future of the church
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and told Peter that He would
build the church upon a rock,
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the rock being Jesus Himself,
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that was north of
Capernaum in Caesarea Philippi.
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The Sermon on the Mount
on a hillside in Galilee,
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not here in Jerusalem.
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But there was
something in Jerusalem
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that drew Jesus here often:
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the temple.
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The temple in Jerusalem
was first built by Solomon
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and was destroyed some
years later by Nebuchadnezzar.
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That temple was rebuilt by
exiles who returned to Jerusalem
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from the Babylonian captivity.
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It was refurbished
by Herod the Great,
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the ruler in Israel
when Jesus was born.
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That's the man
who was so alarmed
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by word that a king
had been born in Bethlehem
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that he ordered the
killing of every baby boy
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under the age of 2 in Bethlehem.
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Herod was ruthless--and
an incredible builder.
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He built the fortress at Masada.
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He built the royal
complex called Herodium,
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another colossal
palace, fortress-type building,
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where his own tomb was located
by archaeologist Ehud Netzer.
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He built a lot
more, all of it grand,
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including that third temple.
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He was determined to
make it a huge complex.
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So he constructed--or at
least he had constructed--
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the Temple Mount,
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an enormous platform upon
which the temple would rest.
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Enormous stones were used in
the wall of the Temple Mount,
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many of them weighing
an estimated 120 tons,
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or almost 109 tonnes in metric.
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And some of those
stones, much more.
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He built the Western Wall,
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where Jews still
come to worship today.
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When Jesus visited the
temple during Passover,
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it's said in John 2, verse 20,
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that the temple had been
under construction for 46 years.
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When it was destroyed in 70 AD,
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it's thought construction
had been fully completed
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only a few years earlier.
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¤[solemn music]¤
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[machinery whirring]
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Visit the Temple Mount today
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and you're able to
see prophecy fulfilled.
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Of course, there's no
temple on the Temple Mount now.
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Jesus, speaking to His
disciples in Matthew 24
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from the Mount of Olives,
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just across the
Kidron Valley from here,
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told His disciples that
the temple would be destroyed
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to the extent that
there would not be one stone
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left upon another.
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I've been asked about
that by people many times
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who see the wall, very much
intact, stones on top of stones,
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and they wonder
whether that prophecy failed.
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But no, Jesus was
speaking about the stones
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in the buildings
of the temple complex.
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And if you come here today,
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you're able to see
some of those same stones,
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pushed off the Temple
Mount, lying in piles today.
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¤[foreboding Middle
Eastern instrumental music]¤
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In the 2nd century AD,
the Roman emperor Hadrian
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built a temple for the worship
of Jupiter on the Temple Mount,
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later demolished by
the emperor Constantine.
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The area later
became a rubbish dump.
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But today, the Temple Mount
is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque,
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considered to be the
third holiest site in Islam,
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and the
magnificent Dome of the Rock.
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It was
completed in around 691 AD
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and then rebuilt a
little over 300 years later.
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It's the most recognized
landmark in Jerusalem today.
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Now, there's no shortage
of controversy and tension
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in Jerusalem
concerning the Temple Mount.
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There are some Jews
and some Christians, too,
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who believe that the Jewish
temple will be rebuilt here.
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Now, the question is asked,
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how can that possibly happen
when the site is currently
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under Muslim control?
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That's a fair question.
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And then there are those
who ask whether the temple
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even needs to be rebuilt,
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considering that
Jesus brought about an end
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of the sacrificial
system when He died on the cross
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as the Lamb of God who takes
away the sins of the world.
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Jesus came and
went from the temple
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that stood on the Temple Mount
during His life and ministry.
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It was there
that Jesus overturned
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the money changers' tables.
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It was on the steps just
in front of the Temple Mount
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that Jesus anointed a blind
man's eyes with dirt and saliva
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and had him go and wash
his eyes in the Pool of Siloam,
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which the man
did-- it was very nearby.
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The man received his sight.
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It was on that
same Temple Mount when,
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as a 12-year-old,
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Jesus engaged the religious
leaders in a discussion.
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His parents had left town,
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not realizing that they had
failed to bring Jesus with them.
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That was all right there.
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But another very significant
event happened on that same spot
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2,000 years earlier,
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an event that prefigured the
coming of Jesus to this world.
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Let's take a look
at that story now.
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It's a story of
faith, great faith.
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Well, some great faith and a
fair amount of faithlessness.
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But it's a story in
which faith triumphs.
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It's a challenging story.
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But this story announces that
Jesus would come to the world
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to save us from our sins.
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¤[instrumental music]¤
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God promised elderly Abram,
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whose name was
later changed to Abraham,
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that he would have a son.
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In fact, God told the
old man that his descendants
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would become a great nation.
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The Bible says the Lord
visited Abraham in Mamre,
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which was located
southwest of Jerusalem,
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down near Hebron.
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"And He said, 'I will
certainly return to you
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according to the time of life,
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and behold, Sarah your
wife shall have a son.'
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(Sarah was listening in the tent
door which was behind him.)"
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That's Genesis 18:10.
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The next verse says, "Now
Abraham and Sarah were old,
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well advanced in age;
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and Sarah had passed
the age of childbearing."
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God stated a physical
impossibility, and Sarah reacted
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as many people do when they're
confronted by God's power,
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God's promises, God's Word.
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"Oh, there's no way in the world
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a big fish could possibly
have swallowed up Jonah."
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"How could a
virgin possibly conceive?"
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"Really? Jesus raised
Lazarus from the dead?"
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There are a lot of doubters.
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"How could God
possibly forgive me of my sins?"
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Same thing.
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When God speaks--
and He has spoken--
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the right way to respond is by
exercising faith in God's Word.
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But that's not what Sarah did.
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"Therefore Sarah
laughed within herself, saying,
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'After I have grown
old, shall I have pleasure,
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my lord being old also?'
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And the Lord said to Abraham,
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'Why did Sarah laugh, saying,
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"Shall I surely bear a
child, since I am old?"
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Is anything too
hard for the Lord?
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At the appointed
time I will return to you,
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according to the time of life,
and Sarah shall have a son.'"
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Now, there's a question:
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Is there anything
too hard for the Lord?
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God had spoken,
so, it would happen.
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There's nothing
too hard for the Lord.
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Believe that and
you'll be in good shape.
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I'll be right back.
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¤[music]¤
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>>John: Jesus said
He came into the world
00:09:43.71\00:09:45.68
to give us a more abundant life.
00:09:45.71\00:09:48.02
And you can have that
by making simple changes
00:09:48.05\00:09:50.15
that bring profound results.
00:09:50.19\00:09:52.09
And with that in mind, I'd like
to offer you a special book.
00:09:52.12\00:09:54.49
It's called
"Confidence in Chaos."
00:09:54.52\00:09:56.79
If you want to get
your heart right with God,
00:09:56.83\00:09:58.39
this is the book that's
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00:09:58.43\00:10:00.23
to that place.
00:10:00.26\00:10:01.23
In order to get this
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The number is 1-800-253-3000,
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or visit us
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00:10:09.70\00:10:13.07
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:10:14.08\00:10:15.58
on It Is Written.
00:10:15.61\00:10:17.35
Jerusalem, the city of peace.
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Well, of course, over
the last number of years
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it hasn't been a
city of a lot of peace.
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Jerusalem, most of it, was
under the control of Jordan
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until the Six-Day War in 1967.
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At that time, a large
amount of territory was taken,
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including the old
city of Jerusalem.
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Jews hadn't held the old city
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for hundreds and
hundreds of years.
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And when Israeli
soldiers made it to the wall
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of the Temple Mount, they wept.
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Which is why the Western
Wall is referred to today
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as the Wailing Wall.
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And since then,
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there hasn't been
anything resembling real peace,
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in spite of many
attempts at securing peace.
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Jesus is referred to
as the Prince of Peace,
00:11:00.82\00:11:04.73
and you're left thinking
that surely the only way
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to real peace in this part
of the world is Jesus Himself.
00:11:07.23\00:11:11.97
And this is a city of miracles,
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and a city where great faith
was demonstrated again and again
00:11:14.57\00:11:17.34
in Bible times.
00:11:17.37\00:11:19.17
The Pool of Bethesda
is here in Jerusalem.
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It's been excavated,
00:11:21.31\00:11:22.71
so it's possible to see just
what it was like in Bible times.
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In John chapter 5, we
read an account of a man
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who was at the Pool of Bethesda
waiting for, as the Bible says,
00:11:29.08\00:11:32.49
"the moving of the water."
00:11:32.52\00:11:34.49
He'd been suffering from a
physical problem for 38 years.
00:11:34.52\00:11:38.76
And Jesus saw him there.
00:11:38.79\00:11:40.36
Now, keep in mind, Jesus didn't
go from Galilee to Jerusalem
00:11:41.33\00:11:45.20
for the purpose of healing.
00:11:45.23\00:11:47.34
He was there, well,
here, for the feast.
00:11:47.37\00:11:50.27
But He saw this man suffering,
and His heart was touched.
00:11:50.31\00:11:53.94
Jesus' heart is
still touched by suffering.
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It was touched by
the plight of this man.
00:11:56.54\00:11:58.81
And if you're
going through something,
00:11:58.85\00:12:00.18
remember, He's touched
by your plight as well.
00:12:00.22\00:12:03.65
There's no
hardship that you go through
00:12:03.69\00:12:05.19
that Jesus doesn't notice,
that doesn't touch His heart.
00:12:05.22\00:12:08.92
And on this day at
the Pool of Bethesda,
00:12:08.96\00:12:11.19
Jesus' heart was touched.
00:12:11.23\00:12:13.19
He said to the man, "Do
you want to be made whole?"
00:12:13.23\00:12:17.47
And here's where
the man told Jesus
00:12:17.50\00:12:19.50
about this interesting tradition
that when the water was troubled
00:12:19.53\00:12:22.94
in some mystical way,
00:12:22.97\00:12:25.14
that the first person put
into the pool would be healed.
00:12:25.17\00:12:28.68
But here was the
source of life and healing,
00:12:28.71\00:12:31.31
the Creator and Re-Creator,
00:12:31.35\00:12:33.68
and He longed to
give the man true healing.
00:12:33.72\00:12:36.89
Jesus said, "Rise,
take up your bed, and walk."
00:12:36.92\00:12:41.92
Now, what would you do if
you were in the man's situation?
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You've been ill or
disabled for 38 years,
00:12:45.06\00:12:47.86
and someone you've
never met says to you,
00:12:47.86\00:12:50.23
"Take up your bed and walk."
00:12:50.27\00:12:52.90
You might doubt.
00:12:52.93\00:12:54.67
You might think the
man was out of his mind.
00:12:54.70\00:12:57.51
But this man exercised faith.
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He heard the word of
Jesus and believed it,
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acted upon it.
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He heard the word, and
he did what the word said.
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That's faith.
00:13:08.78\00:13:10.72
And as he exercised
faith, the Bible says,
00:13:10.75\00:13:14.36
"Immediately the
man was made whole,
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and took up his
bed, and walked."
00:13:16.89\00:13:19.89
And there's another
great story of faith
00:13:20.90\00:13:23.60
that has its
culmination in Jerusalem.
00:13:23.63\00:13:26.27
It started a couple of hours
away in a place called Mamre.
00:13:26.30\00:13:29.44
God spoke to Abraham,
00:13:29.47\00:13:31.34
known today as the
"father of the faithful,"
00:13:31.37\00:13:34.58
and told Abraham that
he would become a father,
00:13:34.61\00:13:38.18
and that his elderly wife
would give birth to a son.
00:13:38.21\00:13:42.15
When God told Abraham
that, Abraham was flabbergasted.
00:13:42.18\00:13:46.09
Sarah,
previously Sarai, laughed.
00:13:46.12\00:13:50.43
You might understand why.
00:13:50.46\00:13:52.33
They just couldn't understand
how, at their advanced age,
00:13:52.36\00:13:57.30
they were going to welcome
a baby boy into their home.
00:13:57.33\00:14:00.40
But God said they would, and the
same God had asked the question,
00:14:00.44\00:14:05.07
"Is [there] anything
too hard for the Lord?"
00:14:05.11\00:14:08.44
Now, that's
something you want to remember.
00:14:08.48\00:14:10.71
When you get into a scrape,
when you get into a tough place,
00:14:10.75\00:14:14.25
when it seems like
things aren't going well,
00:14:14.28\00:14:16.69
remember that God is with you.
00:14:16.72\00:14:19.05
And that there is
nothing too hard for the Lord.
00:14:19.09\00:14:23.53
Now, why did God
choose Abraham for this?
00:14:23.56\00:14:27.46
Genesis 18:19 tells
us, "I have known him,
00:14:27.50\00:14:31.33
in order that he
may command his children
00:14:31.37\00:14:33.30
and his household after him,
00:14:33.34\00:14:34.84
that they keep
the way of the Lord,
00:14:34.87\00:14:37.31
to do
righteousness and [judgment],
00:14:37.34\00:14:39.77
that the Lord
may bring to Abraham
00:14:39.81\00:14:42.08
what He has spoken to him."
00:14:42.11\00:14:43.75
You know, it's interesting
that Abraham wasn't always
00:14:43.78\00:14:46.85
a man of great faith.
00:14:46.88\00:14:48.75
He went to a place called Gerar.
00:14:48.78\00:14:50.49
Of course, Sarah was with him,
00:14:50.52\00:14:52.52
but he explained that his
wife was actually his sister.
00:14:52.55\00:14:56.52
As a consequence,
the king, Abimelech,
00:14:56.56\00:14:59.43
took Abraham's
beautiful wife to be his own.
00:14:59.46\00:15:03.63
It wasn't until God
appeared to Abimelech in a dream
00:15:03.67\00:15:06.84
and told him that he
had taken another man's wife
00:15:06.87\00:15:10.14
that he returned Sarah to
Abraham--and rebuked Abraham.
00:15:10.17\00:15:14.74
Seems Abimelech acted with
more honor in this situation
00:15:14.78\00:15:17.51
than Abraham, the
father of the faithful, did.
00:15:17.55\00:15:20.98
You see, Abraham evidently
was scared that his wife
00:15:21.02\00:15:23.25
would be forcibly taken from him
00:15:23.28\00:15:24.99
and that he would be
harmed in the process.
00:15:25.02\00:15:27.89
Seems that in Abraham's mind,
00:15:27.92\00:15:30.83
it was preferable that his wife
be violated rather than him.
00:15:30.86\00:15:34.93
The father of the faithful?
00:15:34.96\00:15:37.17
Seems like he
wasn't acting that way,
00:15:37.20\00:15:38.97
except we'll
remember a couple of things.
00:15:39.00\00:15:41.00
People grow in their faith,
00:15:41.04\00:15:42.70
and people of
faith can make mistakes.
00:15:42.74\00:15:46.41
But when God brought
the big test to Abraham,
00:15:46.44\00:15:50.85
Abraham didn't stumble.
00:15:50.88\00:15:52.61
I'll have that in just a moment.
00:15:52.65\00:15:54.38
¤[music]¤
00:15:54.42\00:16:01.19
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:16:03.09\00:16:04.93
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:16:04.96\00:16:08.33
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:16:08.36\00:16:11.60
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:16:11.63\00:16:15.84
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:16:15.87\00:16:17.34
to the address on your screen,
00:16:17.37\00:16:18.81
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:16:18.84\00:16:22.71
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:16:22.74\00:16:25.48
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:16:25.51\00:16:29.65
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:16:29.68\00:16:32.72
>>John: It's one of the
great stories of the Bible:
00:16:33.72\00:16:35.92
a shepherd boy against a giant.
00:16:35.96\00:16:38.19
It's a story that
speaks to your story,
00:16:38.23\00:16:40.63
human beings
weakened by years of sin
00:16:40.66\00:16:42.90
up against an enemy with
years of experience in sin.
00:16:42.93\00:16:46.30
I'm John Bradshaw.
00:16:46.33\00:16:47.60
Join me on location in
Israel for "David and Goliath."
00:16:47.64\00:16:51.47
We'll go to the Valley of Elah,
00:16:51.51\00:16:52.87
where the conflict between Judah
and the Philistines took place.
00:16:52.91\00:16:56.08
We'll visit the stream
where David selected five stones
00:16:56.11\00:16:59.35
and see the hillsides
00:16:59.38\00:17:00.52
on which Israel and
the Philistines camped.
00:17:00.55\00:17:03.15
The Bible comes alive
in "David and Goliath."
00:17:03.18\00:17:06.25
Faith in the face of darkness,
00:17:06.29\00:17:08.19
faith in the midst of
faithlessness and failure,
00:17:08.22\00:17:10.89
and reliance upon God
when all other hope is gone.
00:17:10.93\00:17:14.56
"David and Goliath,"
filmed on location in Israel.
00:17:14.56\00:17:18.10
Hope in the midst of trials,
the power of a mighty God,
00:17:18.13\00:17:22.20
deliverance when
deliverance is needed.
00:17:22.24\00:17:25.44
Don't miss "David and Goliath,"
00:17:25.47\00:17:27.94
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:17:27.98\00:17:31.01
>>John Bradshaw: Passing
his wife off as his sister
00:17:33.95\00:17:36.52
wasn't the only
serious mistake Abraham made.
00:17:36.55\00:17:40.32
This happened because
Abraham and Sarah decided
00:17:40.36\00:17:43.56
that God needed some help.
00:17:43.59\00:17:45.89
They knew that God had
said Sarah would have a baby
00:17:45.93\00:17:48.36
in her old age.
00:17:48.40\00:17:49.90
But Sarah figured
that would never happen.
00:17:49.93\00:17:52.37
So she suggested that
Abraham take her handmaid Hagar
00:17:52.40\00:17:56.27
and have a child with Hagar.
00:17:56.30\00:17:58.41
Now, Abraham very obviously
should have told his wife
00:17:58.44\00:18:00.51
that that was a terrible idea,
00:18:00.54\00:18:01.81
but instead he
agreed, and Ishmael was born.
00:18:01.84\00:18:06.31
But immediately this
caused all kinds of problems.
00:18:06.35\00:18:09.82
And it still does.
00:18:09.85\00:18:11.25
The descendants
of Isaac and Ishmael
00:18:11.29\00:18:13.25
have been at
each other ever since.
00:18:13.29\00:18:15.99
The trouble in
the Middle East today?
00:18:16.02\00:18:18.83
Isaac's descendants
against Ishmael's descendants.
00:18:18.86\00:18:22.63
If Sarah hadn't
tried to help God,
00:18:22.66\00:18:26.10
history would have
turned out very differently.
00:18:26.13\00:18:29.74
Abraham was a hundred
years old when Isaac was born.
00:18:29.77\00:18:32.81
Sarah was 90 or 91.
00:18:32.84\00:18:35.84
When they
believed God, trusted God,
00:18:35.88\00:18:39.41
they demonstrated faith,
00:18:39.45\00:18:41.68
and their faith in God
was very clearly vindicated.
00:18:41.72\00:18:44.92
Sarah had a baby boy, and
he was the child of promise.
00:18:44.95\00:18:49.56
Ishmael could never
be the child of promise
00:18:49.59\00:18:51.66
because taking Hagar
was not an act of faith.
00:18:51.69\00:18:55.86
God said Sarah would give birth.
00:18:55.90\00:18:58.07
He didn't say
anything about Hagar.
00:18:58.10\00:19:00.47
As impossible as it
seemed, when God said,
00:19:00.50\00:19:03.54
"Sarah will bear a child,"
00:19:03.57\00:19:05.71
all they needed to
do was believe that,
00:19:05.74\00:19:07.34
and it would be done,
because God had said so.
00:19:07.38\00:19:10.95
And that's faith,
00:19:10.98\00:19:12.31
believing that what God says
will happen because God said so.
00:19:12.35\00:19:17.65
You don't need further evidence,
00:19:17.69\00:19:20.46
just faith that God can
do what He says He can do.
00:19:20.49\00:19:24.33
But it's in Genesis chapter 22
00:19:24.36\00:19:25.93
that things really
get tough for Abraham.
00:19:25.96\00:19:30.00
Based on his previous failures,
you might think he'd fail here.
00:19:30.03\00:19:34.30
God brings a severe test.
00:19:34.34\00:19:37.31
Starting in verse 1:
00:19:38.07\00:19:39.81
"Now it came to pass after these
things that God tested Abraham,
00:19:39.84\00:19:44.08
and said to him, 'Abraham!'
00:19:44.11\00:19:46.35
And he said, 'Here I am.'
00:19:46.38\00:19:48.48
Then He said,
'Take now your son,
00:19:48.52\00:19:50.89
your only son
Isaac, whom you love,
00:19:50.92\00:19:54.42
and go to the land of Moriah,
00:19:54.46\00:19:56.59
and offer him
there as a burnt offering
00:19:56.62\00:19:58.76
on one of the mountains
of which I shall tell you.'"
00:19:58.79\00:20:02.16
Imagine that.
00:20:02.20\00:20:03.83
God said, "Sacrifice your son."
00:20:03.87\00:20:07.80
And in spite of
his previous failings,
00:20:07.84\00:20:10.64
Abraham doesn't fail this time.
00:20:10.67\00:20:13.64
Verse 3 says this:
00:20:13.68\00:20:15.51
"So Abraham rose early in the
morning and saddled his donkey,
00:20:15.54\00:20:19.85
and took two of his young
men with him, and Isaac his son;
00:20:19.88\00:20:24.32
and he split the wood
for the burnt offering,
00:20:24.35\00:20:26.86
and arose and went to the place
of which God had told him."
00:20:26.89\00:20:30.49
Verse 4:
00:20:30.53\00:20:31.49
"Then on the third day
Abraham lifted his eyes
00:20:31.53\00:20:35.13
and saw the place afar off."
00:20:35.16\00:20:37.70
The place he saw
was Mount Moriah,
00:20:37.73\00:20:40.60
which is where the
Temple Mount stands today.
00:20:40.64\00:20:44.11
And so you can imagine,
00:20:44.14\00:20:45.51
Abraham having traveled
about three days with his son,
00:20:45.54\00:20:49.08
now starting slowly
to ascend the mountain.
00:20:49.11\00:20:51.71
In fact, it's, it's
really little more than a hill.
00:20:51.75\00:20:55.55
So he's traveling up
the hill with his son,
00:20:55.58\00:20:59.19
with a heavy heart,
knowing what he has to do.
00:20:59.22\00:21:02.76
Interestingly,
Muslims believe it was Ishmael
00:21:02.79\00:21:05.19
that Abraham took to the top
of Mount Moriah to sacrifice.
00:21:05.23\00:21:08.83
But the Bible says it
was Abraham and Isaac.
00:21:08.86\00:21:12.70
"And Abraham
said to his young men,
00:21:12.73\00:21:15.57
'Stay here with the donkey;
00:21:15.60\00:21:17.51
the lad and I will
go yonder and worship,
00:21:17.54\00:21:20.61
and we will come back to you.'"
00:21:20.64\00:21:22.41
Now, that's interesting.
00:21:22.44\00:21:23.95
He knew what God had asked,
00:21:23.98\00:21:25.98
but he believed that God
would raise Isaac from the dead.
00:21:26.01\00:21:30.65
It says this in Hebrews 11:
00:21:30.69\00:21:32.92
"By faith Abraham, when he
was tested, offered up Isaac,
00:21:32.95\00:21:37.99
and he who had
received the promises offered up
00:21:38.03\00:21:40.76
his only begotten
son, of whom it was said,
00:21:40.80\00:21:43.40
'In Isaac your
seed shall be called,'
00:21:43.43\00:21:46.80
concluding that God
was able to raise him up,
00:21:46.84\00:21:49.60
even from the dead,
00:21:49.64\00:21:51.31
from which he also received
him in a figurative sense."
00:21:51.34\00:21:54.64
But still,
00:21:54.68\00:21:55.88
this was a colossal struggle
for the loving father Abraham.
00:21:55.91\00:22:00.48
Back to Genesis chapter 22.
00:22:00.52\00:22:02.72
"So Abraham took the
wood of the burnt offering
00:22:02.75\00:22:05.29
and laid it on Isaac his son;
00:22:05.32\00:22:07.99
and he took the
fire in his hand,
00:22:08.02\00:22:09.49
and a knife, and the
two of them went together.
00:22:09.52\00:22:13.29
But Isaac spoke to
Abraham his father and said,
00:22:13.33\00:22:16.20
'My father!' And he
said, 'Here I am, my son.'
00:22:16.23\00:22:19.90
Then he said, 'Look,
the fire and the wood,
00:22:19.93\00:22:23.07
but where is the lamb
for a burnt offering?'"
00:22:23.10\00:22:26.51
Now, notice
these beautiful words:
00:22:26.54\00:22:28.78
"And Abraham said, 'My son,
God will provide for Himself
00:22:28.81\00:22:34.62
the lamb for a burnt offering.'
00:22:34.65\00:22:36.99
So the two of
them went together.
00:22:37.02\00:22:39.62
Then they came to the
place of which God had told him.
00:22:39.65\00:22:42.52
And Abraham built an altar there
00:22:42.56\00:22:44.49
and placed the wood in order;
00:22:44.53\00:22:46.83
and he bound Isaac his
son and laid him on the altar,
00:22:46.86\00:22:49.83
upon the wood.
00:22:49.86\00:22:51.83
And Abraham
stretched out his hand
00:22:51.87\00:22:54.00
and took the
knife to slay his son."
00:22:54.04\00:22:56.67
So how do you do that?
00:22:56.71\00:22:59.31
Well, faith.
00:22:59.34\00:23:01.41
God had said Isaac
was the child of promise.
00:23:01.44\00:23:05.31
So, very clearly, the boy's
life couldn't come to an end.
00:23:05.35\00:23:09.82
God had spoken, and
Abraham believed God.
00:23:09.85\00:23:13.92
As Romans 4, verse 3 says,
00:23:13.96\00:23:16.22
"For what does the Scripture
say? 'Abraham believed God,
00:23:16.26\00:23:19.73
and it was accounted to
him for righteousness.'"
00:23:19.76\00:23:22.50
And as Abraham was in the
throes of taking his son's life,
00:23:22.53\00:23:27.74
God intervened.
00:23:27.77\00:23:30.04
"The Angel of the Lord called
to him from heaven and said,
00:23:30.07\00:23:33.51
'Abraham, Abraham!'
So he said, 'Here I am.'
00:23:33.54\00:23:38.05
And He said, 'Do not
lay your hand on the lad,
00:23:38.08\00:23:41.28
or do anything to him; for
now I know that you fear God,
00:23:41.32\00:23:45.62
since you have not withheld your
son, your only son, from me.'"
00:23:45.65\00:23:50.69
"Now I know...you fear God."
00:23:51.46\00:23:54.23
And why was that?
00:23:54.30\00:23:55.53
Because you believed,
00:23:55.56\00:23:57.43
and you demonstrated
that belief by your actions.
00:23:57.47\00:24:00.60
You believed, and you obeyed.
00:24:00.64\00:24:03.37
You believed, and you
showed that belief in your life.
00:24:03.41\00:24:07.38
So how are things with you?
00:24:09.68\00:24:11.11
Are you living a life of faith?
00:24:11.15\00:24:13.01
Are you living "by every word
00:24:13.05\00:24:14.42
that proceeds
from the mouth of God"?
00:24:14.45\00:24:16.38
That's what faith
is. It's trusting God.
00:24:16.42\00:24:18.82
It's taking God at His word.
00:24:18.85\00:24:21.39
That's what Abraham chose to do.
00:24:21.42\00:24:24.03
Now, if you'd like
another example of great faith,
00:24:24.06\00:24:27.13
think about Isaac.
00:24:27.13\00:24:28.30
A young man more than
likely in his late teens.
00:24:28.33\00:24:30.63
His father says, "God has
told me to sacrifice you."
00:24:30.67\00:24:35.57
Now, what would you have done?
00:24:35.60\00:24:37.04
No one would have blamed
Isaac if he'd jumped up and,
00:24:37.07\00:24:39.31
jumped up and run off and
said, "Dad, you're crazy!"
00:24:39.34\00:24:42.08
But that's not what he
did. He submitted to his father.
00:24:42.11\00:24:44.41
Which tells us at
least three things.
00:24:44.45\00:24:46.82
One, he loved his dad.
00:24:46.85\00:24:48.85
Two, he trusted
and respected his dad.
00:24:48.88\00:24:51.55
And three, Abraham had lived
the kind of life as a daddy
00:24:51.59\00:24:55.89
that inspired
faithfulness in his son Isaac.
00:24:55.92\00:24:59.49
I think there's a lesson
there for parents everywhere.
00:24:59.53\00:25:02.26
And the story ends with
a truly beautiful verse.
00:25:02.30\00:25:05.13
Abraham had said to his son,
00:25:05.17\00:25:06.80
"[My] God
[shall] provide Himself
00:25:06.84\00:25:08.97
a lamb for a burnt offering."
00:25:09.00\00:25:10.71
That's exactly what God did.
00:25:11.21\00:25:12.91
¤[soft music]¤
00:25:12.94\00:25:14.31
Genesis 22:13, "Then Abraham
lifted his eyes and looked,
00:25:14.34\00:25:19.85
and there behind him was
a ram caught in a thicket
00:25:19.88\00:25:23.28
by its horns.
00:25:23.32\00:25:25.32
So Abraham went
and took the ram,
00:25:25.35\00:25:28.16
and offered it up for a burnt
offering instead of his son."
00:25:28.19\00:25:32.83
[traffic noise and
indistinct voices in background]
00:25:32.86\00:25:34.93
And what was this?
00:25:34.93\00:25:36.60
This was prefiguring Jesus,
00:25:36.63\00:25:38.10
who would die for
the sins of the world.
00:25:38.13\00:25:40.40
God did give Himself a
Lamb for a burnt offering:
00:25:40.44\00:25:43.51
Jesus, God in the flesh, who
died for the sins of the world.
00:25:43.54\00:25:48.41
And He did so pretty
much in exactly the same place
00:25:48.44\00:25:51.31
that Abraham offered that ram.
00:25:51.35\00:25:54.32
A beautiful
story, a story of faith.
00:25:54.35\00:25:57.12
Is anything too
hard for the Lord?
00:25:57.15\00:25:59.79
No, nothing.
00:25:59.82\00:26:01.42
An elderly woman giving birth?
00:26:01.46\00:26:03.26
If that's God's will, sure.
00:26:03.29\00:26:05.49
A patriarch
choosing to offer up his son?
00:26:05.53\00:26:08.00
Yes, because the man had faith.
00:26:08.03\00:26:12.30
Do you have faith in God?
00:26:12.33\00:26:13.97
Real faith?
00:26:14.00\00:26:15.07
Not just church-once-a-week
faith, but real faith?
00:26:15.10\00:26:19.31
I've decided to follow Jesus.
00:26:19.34\00:26:21.01
His Word is my will.
00:26:21.04\00:26:22.38
When the Bible
says it, I believe it.
00:26:22.41\00:26:24.41
And I want God's
will done in my life.
00:26:24.45\00:26:27.28
What a beautiful story of faith.
00:26:27.32\00:26:29.35
And Abraham's story of
faith can be your story.
00:26:29.38\00:26:34.36
>>John: Jesus said He
came into the world to give us
00:26:36.52\00:26:38.89
a more abundant life,
00:26:38.93\00:26:40.63
and you can have that
by making simple changes
00:26:40.66\00:26:42.73
that bring profound results.
00:26:42.76\00:26:44.70
And with that in mind, I'd like
to offer you a special book.
00:26:44.73\00:26:47.07
It's called
"Confidence in Chaos."
00:26:47.10\00:26:49.30
If you want to get
your heart right with God,
00:26:49.34\00:26:50.97
this is the book that's
going to set you on the path
00:26:51.01\00:26:52.81
to that place.
00:26:52.84\00:26:53.88
In order to get this
book, call right now.
00:26:53.91\00:26:55.58
The number is 1-800-253-3000,
00:26:55.61\00:26:59.55
and simply ask for
"Confidence in Chaos,"
00:26:59.58\00:27:02.35
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:27:02.38\00:27:05.65
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
00:27:07.22\00:27:09.16
Our Father in heaven,
00:27:09.19\00:27:10.33
we come to You in the name
of Jesus, and we thank You.
00:27:10.36\00:27:12.73
We thank You for
the gift of faith.
00:27:12.76\00:27:15.40
And we pray, as
the disciples pray,
00:27:15.43\00:27:17.73
"Increase our faith."
00:27:17.77\00:27:19.40
Friend, is there something
for which you need more faith?
00:27:19.43\00:27:23.07
Is there a struggle
you're having where,
00:27:23.10\00:27:24.41
where you can't see God, where
you're battling to see God?
00:27:24.44\00:27:27.54
Or are you drifting, and
you're not living your life
00:27:27.58\00:27:30.25
on the Word of God?
00:27:30.28\00:27:31.01
Tell God now, "I want faith.
00:27:31.05\00:27:34.35
I want to lean on Your
Word. I want to stand on Jesus."
00:27:34.38\00:27:37.99
Believe His
promises. Believe the Bible.
00:27:38.02\00:27:41.66
Father in heaven, we thank
You. We thank You for faith.
00:27:41.69\00:27:43.99
Grow our faith, we
pray, in Jesus' name.
00:27:44.03\00:27:48.70
Amen.
00:27:48.73\00:27:50.40
Thanks so much
for joining me today.
00:27:50.43\00:27:51.80
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:51.83\00:27:54.37
Until then, remember:
00:27:54.40\00:27:56.24
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:56.27\00:28:00.74
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:28:00.78\00:28:04.88
¤[theme music]¤
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