>>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
00:09:43.21\00:09:45.18
to give us a more abundant life.
00:09:45.21\00:09:47.52
And you can have that
by making simple changes
00:09:47.55\00:09:49.65
that bring profound results.
00:09:49.68\00:09:51.59
And with that in mind, I'd like
to offer you a special book.
00:09:51.62\00:09:53.99
It's called
"Confidence in Chaos."
00:09:54.02\00:09:56.29
If you want to get
your heart right with God,
00:09:56.32\00:09:57.89
this is the book that's
going to set you on the path
00:09:57.93\00:09:59.73
to that place.
00:09:59.76\00:10:00.76
In order to get this
book, call right now.
00:10:00.80\00:10:02.43
The number is 1-800-253-3000,
00:10:02.46\00:10:06.40
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or visit us
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00:10:09.20\00:10:12.57
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:10:13.58\00:10:15.08
on It Is Written.
00:10:15.11\00:10:16.85
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.
00:10:23.45\00:10:26.22
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,
00:10:32.69\00:10:35.46
including the old
city of Jerusalem.
00:10:35.50\00:10:38.50
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.
00:10:45.54\00:10:48.78
Which is why the Western
Wall is referred to today
00:10:48.81\00:10:50.91
as the Wailing Wall.
00:10:50.95\00:10:53.58
And since then,
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there hasn't been
anything resembling real peace,
00:10:54.68\00:10:57.39
in spite of many
attempts at securing peace.
00:10:57.42\00:11:00.29
Jesus is referred to
as the Prince of Peace,
00:11:00.32\00:11:04.23
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.
00:11:06.76\00:11:11.47
And this is a city of miracles,
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and a city where great faith
was demonstrated again and again
00:11:14.07\00:11:16.84
in Bible times.
00:11:16.87\00:11:18.67
The Pool of Bethesda
is here in Jerusalem.
00:11:18.71\00:11:20.78
It's been excavated,
00:11:20.81\00:11:22.21
so it's possible to see just
what it was like in Bible times.
00:11:22.24\00:11:25.71
In John chapter 5, we
read an account of a man
00:11:26.38\00:11:28.55
who was at the Pool of Bethesda
waiting for, as the Bible says,
00:11:28.58\00:11:31.99
"the moving of the water."
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He'd been suffering from a
physical problem for 38 years.
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And Jesus saw him there.
00:11:38.29\00:11:39.86
Now, keep in mind, Jesus didn't
go from Galilee to Jerusalem
00:11:40.86\00:11:44.70
for the purpose of healing.
00:11:44.73\00:11:46.84
He was there, well,
here, for the feast.
00:11:46.87\00:11:49.77
But He saw this man suffering,
and His heart was touched.
00:11:49.80\00:11:53.44
Jesus' heart is
still touched by suffering.
00:11:53.48\00:11:56.01
It was touched by
the plight of this man.
00:11:56.04\00:11:58.31
And if you're
going through something,
00:11:58.35\00:11:59.61
remember, He's touched
by your plight as well.
00:11:59.65\00:12:03.15
There's no
hardship that you go through
00:12:03.18\00:12:04.69
that Jesus doesn't notice,
that doesn't touch His heart.
00:12:04.72\00:12:08.42
And on this day at
the Pool of Bethesda,
00:12:08.46\00:12:10.69
Jesus' heart was touched.
00:12:10.73\00:12:12.69
He said to the man, "Do
you want to be made whole?"
00:12:12.73\00:12:16.97
And here's where
the man told Jesus
00:12:17.00\00:12:19.00
about this interesting tradition
that when the water was troubled
00:12:19.03\00:12:22.44
in some mystical way,
00:12:22.47\00:12:24.64
that the first person put
into the pool would be healed.
00:12:24.67\00:12:28.18
But here was the
source of life and healing,
00:12:28.21\00:12:30.81
the Creator and Re-Creator,
00:12:30.85\00:12:33.18
and He longed to
give the man true healing.
00:12:33.21\00:12:36.38
Jesus said, "Rise,
take up your bed, and walk."
00:12:36.42\00:12:41.42
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,
00:12:44.56\00:12:47.36
and someone you've
never met says to you,
00:12:47.40\00:12:49.73
"Take up your bed and walk."
00:12:49.76\00:12:52.40
You might doubt.
00:12:52.43\00:12:54.17
You might think the
man was out of his mind.
00:12:54.20\00:12:57.01
But this man exercised faith.
00:12:57.04\00:12:59.21
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.
00:13:03.75\00:13:08.25
That's faith.
00:13:08.28\00:13:10.22
And as he exercised
faith, the Bible says,
00:13:10.25\00:13:13.86
"Immediately the
man was made whole,
00:13:13.89\00:13:16.36
and took up his
bed, and walked."
00:13:16.39\00:13:19.39
And there's another
great story of faith
00:13:20.40\00:13:23.10
that has its
culmination in Jerusalem.
00:13:23.13\00:13:25.77
It started a couple of hours
away in a place called Mamre.
00:13:25.80\00:13:28.94
God spoke to Abraham,
00:13:28.97\00:13:30.84
known today as the
"father of the faithful,"
00:13:30.87\00:13:34.08
and told Abraham that
he would become a father,
00:13:34.11\00:13:37.68
and that his elderly wife
would give birth to a son.
00:13:37.71\00:13:41.65
When God told Abraham
that, Abraham was flabbergasted.
00:13:41.68\00:13:45.59
Sarah,
previously Sarai, laughed.
00:13:45.62\00:13:49.92
You might understand why.
00:13:49.96\00:13:51.83
They just couldn't understand
how, at their advanced age,
00:13:51.86\00:13:56.80
they were going to welcome
a baby boy into their home.
00:13:56.83\00:13:59.83
But God said they would, and the
same God had asked the question,
00:13:59.87\00:14:04.57
"Is [there] anything
too hard for the Lord?"
00:14:04.61\00:14:07.94
Now, that's
something you want to remember.
00:14:07.98\00:14:10.21
When you get into a scrape,
when you get into a tough place,
00:14:10.25\00:14:13.75
when it seems like
things aren't going well,
00:14:13.78\00:14:16.18
remember that God is with you.
00:14:16.22\00:14:18.55
And that there is
nothing too hard for the Lord.
00:14:18.59\00:14:23.02
Now, why did God
choose Abraham for this?
00:14:23.06\00:14:26.96
Genesis 18:19 tells
us, "I have known him,
00:14:27.00\00:14:30.83
in order that he
may command his children
00:14:30.87\00:14:32.80
and his household after him,
00:14:32.83\00:14:34.34
that they keep
the way of the Lord,
00:14:34.37\00:14:36.81
to do
righteousness and [judgment],
00:14:36.84\00:14:39.27
that the Lord
may bring to Abraham
00:14:39.31\00:14:41.58
what He has spoken to him."
00:14:41.61\00:14:43.24
You know, it's interesting
that Abraham wasn't always
00:14:43.28\00:14:46.35
a man of great faith.
00:14:46.38\00:14:48.25
He went to a place called Gerar.
00:14:48.28\00:14:49.98
Of course, Sarah was with him,
00:14:50.02\00:14:52.02
but he explained that his
wife was actually his sister.
00:14:52.05\00:14:56.02
As a consequence,
the king, Abimelech,
00:14:56.06\00:14:58.93
took Abraham's
beautiful wife to be his own.
00:14:58.96\00:15:03.13
It wasn't until God
appeared to Abimelech in a dream
00:15:03.16\00:15:06.33
and told him that he
had taken another man's wife
00:15:06.37\00:15:09.64
that he returned Sarah to
Abraham--and rebuked Abraham.
00:15:09.67\00:15:14.24
Seems Abimelech acted with
more honor in this situation
00:15:14.28\00:15:17.01
than Abraham, the
father of the faithful, did.
00:15:17.05\00:15:20.48
You see, Abraham evidently
was scared that his wife
00:15:20.52\00:15:22.75
would be forcibly taken from him
00:15:22.78\00:15:24.49
and that he would be
harmed in the process.
00:15:24.52\00:15:27.39
Seems that in Abraham's mind,
00:15:27.42\00:15:30.33
it was preferable that his wife
be violated rather than him.
00:15:30.36\00:15:34.46
The father of the faithful?
00:15:34.46\00:15:36.67
Seems like he
wasn't acting that way,
00:15:36.70\00:15:38.47
except we'll
remember a couple of things.
00:15:38.50\00:15:40.50
People grow in their faith,
00:15:40.54\00:15:42.20
and people of
faith can make mistakes.
00:15:42.24\00:15:45.91
But when God brought
the big test to Abraham,
00:15:45.94\00:15:50.35
Abraham didn't stumble.
00:15:50.38\00:15:52.11
I'll have that in just a moment.
00:15:52.15\00:15:53.88
¤[music]¤
00:15:53.92\00:16:00.69
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:16:02.59\00:16:04.43
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:16:04.46\00:16:07.86
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:16:07.86\00:16:11.10
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:16:11.13\00:16:15.34
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:16:15.37\00:16:16.84
to the address on your screen,
00:16:16.87\00:16:18.31
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:16:18.34\00:16:22.21
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:16:22.24\00:16:24.98
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:16:25.01\00:16:29.15
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:16:29.18\00:16:32.22
>>John: It's one of the
great stories of the Bible:
00:16:33.22\00:16:35.42
a shepherd boy against a giant.
00:16:35.46\00:16:37.69
It's a story that
speaks to your story,
00:16:37.73\00:16:40.13
human beings
weakened by years of sin
00:16:40.16\00:16:42.40
up against an enemy with
years of experience in sin.
00:16:42.43\00:16:45.80
I'm John Bradshaw.
00:16:45.83\00:16:47.10
Join me on location in
Israel for "David and Goliath."
00:16:47.14\00:16:50.97
We'll go to the Valley of Elah,
00:16:51.01\00:16:52.37
where the conflict between Judah
and the Philistines took place.
00:16:52.41\00:16:55.58
We'll visit the stream
where David selected five stones
00:16:55.61\00:16:58.85
and see the hillsides
00:16:58.88\00:16:59.95
on which Israel and
the Philistines camped.
00:17:00.05\00:17:02.65
The Bible comes alive
in "David and Goliath."
00:17:02.68\00:17:05.75
Faith in the face of darkness,
00:17:05.79\00:17:07.69
faith in the midst of
faithlessness and failure,
00:17:07.72\00:17:10.39
and reliance upon God
when all other hope is gone.
00:17:10.43\00:17:14.03
"David and Goliath,"
filmed on location in Israel.
00:17:14.10\00:17:17.60
Hope in the midst of trials,
the power of a mighty God,
00:17:17.63\00:17:21.70
deliverance when
deliverance is needed.
00:17:21.74\00:17:24.94
Don't miss "David and Goliath,"
00:17:24.97\00:17:27.44
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:17:27.48\00:17:30.51
>>John Bradshaw: Passing
his wife off as his sister
00:17:33.45\00:17:36.02
wasn't the only
serious mistake Abraham made.
00:17:36.05\00:17:39.82
This happened because
Abraham and Sarah decided
00:17:39.85\00:17:43.06
that God needed some help.
00:17:43.09\00:17:45.39
They knew that God had
said Sarah would have a baby
00:17:45.43\00:17:47.86
in her old age.
00:17:47.93\00:17:49.40
But Sarah figured
that would never happen.
00:17:49.43\00:17:51.87
So she suggested that
Abraham take her handmaid Hagar
00:17:51.90\00:17:55.77
and have a child with Hagar.
00:17:55.80\00:17:57.91
Now, Abraham very obviously
should have told his wife
00:17:57.94\00:17:59.94
that that was a terrible idea,
00:18:00.04\00:18:01.31
but instead he
agreed, and Ishmael was born.
00:18:01.34\00:18:05.81
But immediately this
caused all kinds of problems.
00:18:05.85\00:18:09.32
And it still does.
00:18:09.35\00:18:10.75
The descendants
of Isaac and Ishmael
00:18:10.79\00:18:12.75
have been at
each other ever since.
00:18:12.79\00:18:15.49
The trouble in
the Middle East today?
00:18:15.52\00:18:18.33
Isaac's descendants
against Ishmael's descendants.
00:18:18.36\00:18:22.13
If Sarah hadn't
tried to help God,
00:18:22.16\00:18:25.60
history would have
turned out very differently.
00:18:25.63\00:18:29.24
Abraham was a hundred
years old when Isaac was born.
00:18:29.27\00:18:32.31
Sarah was 90 or 91.
00:18:32.34\00:18:35.34
When they
believed God, trusted God,
00:18:35.38\00:18:38.91
they demonstrated faith,
00:18:38.95\00:18:41.18
and their faith in God
was very clearly vindicated.
00:18:41.22\00:18:44.42
Sarah had a baby boy, and
he was the child of promise.
00:18:44.45\00:18:49.06
Ishmael could never
be the child of promise
00:18:49.09\00:18:51.16
because taking Hagar
was not an act of faith.
00:18:51.19\00:18:55.36
God said Sarah would give birth.
00:18:55.40\00:18:57.57
He didn't say
anything about Hagar.
00:18:57.60\00:18:59.90
As impossible as it
seemed, when God said,
00:18:59.93\00:19:03.04
"Sarah will bear a child,"
00:19:03.07\00:19:05.21
all they needed to
do was believe that,
00:19:05.24\00:19:06.84
and it would be done,
because God had said so.
00:19:06.88\00:19:10.45
And that's faith,
00:19:10.48\00:19:11.81
believing that what God says
will happen because God said so.
00:19:11.85\00:19:17.15
You don't need further evidence,
00:19:17.19\00:19:19.95
just faith that God can
do what He says He can do.
00:19:19.99\00:19:23.83
But it's in Genesis chapter 22
00:19:23.86\00:19:25.43
that things really
get tough for Abraham.
00:19:25.46\00:19:29.50
Based on his previous failures,
you might think he'd fail here.
00:19:29.53\00:19:33.80
God brings a severe test.
00:19:33.84\00:19:36.81
Starting in verse 1:
00:19:37.57\00:19:39.31
"Now it came to pass after these
things that God tested Abraham,
00:19:39.34\00:19:43.58
and said to him, 'Abraham!'
00:19:43.61\00:19:45.85
And he said, 'Here I am.'
00:19:45.88\00:19:47.98
Then He said,
'Take now your son,
00:19:48.02\00:19:50.39
your only son
Isaac, whom you love,
00:19:50.42\00:19:53.92
and go to the land of Moriah,
00:19:53.96\00:19:56.09
and offer him
there as a burnt offering
00:19:56.12\00:19:58.26
on one of the mountains
of which I shall tell you.'"
00:19:58.29\00:20:01.66
Imagine that.
00:20:01.70\00:20:03.33
God said, "Sacrifice your son."
00:20:03.37\00:20:07.30
And in spite of
his previous failings,
00:20:07.34\00:20:10.14
Abraham doesn't fail this time.
00:20:10.17\00:20:13.14
Verse 3 says this:
00:20:13.17\00:20:15.01
"So Abraham rose early in the
morning and saddled his donkey,
00:20:15.04\00:20:19.35
and took two of his young
men with him, and Isaac his son;
00:20:19.38\00:20:23.82
and he split the wood
for the burnt offering,
00:20:23.85\00:20:26.35
and arose and went to the place
of which God had told him."
00:20:26.39\00:20:29.99
Verse 4:
00:20:30.03\00:20:30.99
"Then on the third day
Abraham lifted his eyes
00:20:31.03\00:20:34.63
and saw the place afar off."
00:20:34.66\00:20:37.20
The place he saw
was Mount Moriah,
00:20:37.23\00:20:40.10
which is where the
Temple Mount stands today.
00:20:40.14\00:20:43.61
And so you can imagine,
00:20:43.64\00:20:45.01
Abraham having traveled
about three days with his son,
00:20:45.04\00:20:48.58
now starting slowly
to ascend the mountain.
00:20:48.61\00:20:51.21
In fact, it's, it's
really little more than a hill.
00:20:51.25\00:20:55.05
So he's traveling up
the hill with his son,
00:20:55.08\00:20:58.69
with a heavy heart,
knowing what he has to do.
00:20:58.72\00:21:02.26
Interestingly,
Muslims believe it was Ishmael
00:21:02.29\00:21:04.69
that Abraham took to the top
of Mount Moriah to sacrifice.
00:21:04.73\00:21:08.33
But the Bible says it
was Abraham and Isaac.
00:21:08.36\00:21:12.20
"And Abraham
said to his young men,
00:21:12.23\00:21:15.07
'Stay here with the donkey;
00:21:15.10\00:21:17.01
the lad and I will
go yonder and worship,
00:21:17.04\00:21:20.11
and we will come back to you.'"
00:21:20.14\00:21:21.91
Now, that's interesting.
00:21:21.94\00:21:23.45
He knew what God had asked,
00:21:23.48\00:21:25.48
but he believed that God
would raise Isaac from the dead.
00:21:25.51\00:21:30.15
It says this in Hebrews 11:
00:21:30.19\00:21:32.42
"By faith Abraham, when he
was tested, offered up Isaac,
00:21:32.45\00:21:37.49
and he who had
received the promises offered up
00:21:37.53\00:21:40.26
his only begotten
son, of whom it was said,
00:21:40.30\00:21:42.90
'In Isaac your
seed shall be called,'
00:21:42.93\00:21:46.30
concluding that God
was able to raise him up,
00:21:46.33\00:21:49.10
even from the dead,
00:21:49.14\00:21:50.81
from which he also received
him in a figurative sense."
00:21:50.84\00:21:54.14
But still,
00:21:54.18\00:21:55.38
this was a colossal struggle
for the loving father Abraham.
00:21:55.41\00:21:59.91
Back to Genesis chapter 22.
00:21:59.95\00:22:02.22
"So Abraham took the
wood of the burnt offering
00:22:02.25\00:22:04.79
and laid it on Isaac his son;
00:22:04.82\00:22:07.49
and he took the
fire in his hand,
00:22:07.52\00:22:08.99
and a knife, and the
two of them went together.
00:22:09.02\00:22:12.79
But Isaac spoke to
Abraham his father and said,
00:22:12.83\00:22:15.70
'My father!' And he
said, 'Here I am, my son.'
00:22:15.73\00:22:19.40
Then he said, 'Look,
the fire and the wood,
00:22:19.43\00:22:22.57
but where is the lamb
for a burnt offering?'"
00:22:22.60\00:22:26.01
Now, notice
these beautiful words:
00:22:26.04\00:22:28.28
"And Abraham said, 'My son,
God will provide for Himself
00:22:28.31\00:22:34.12
the lamb for a burnt offering.'
00:22:34.15\00:22:36.48
So the two of
them went together.
00:22:36.52\00:22:39.12
Then they came to the
place of which God had told him.
00:22:39.15\00:22:42.02
And Abraham built an altar there
00:22:42.06\00:22:43.99
and placed the wood in order;
00:22:44.03\00:22:46.33
and he bound Isaac his
son and laid him on the altar,
00:22:46.36\00:22:49.33
upon the wood.
00:22:49.36\00:22:51.33
And Abraham
stretched out his hand
00:22:51.37\00:22:53.50
and took the
knife to slay his son."
00:22:53.54\00:22:56.17
So how do you do that?
00:22:56.20\00:22:58.81
Well, faith.
00:22:58.84\00:23:00.91
God had said Isaac
was the child of promise.
00:23:00.94\00:23:04.81
So, very clearly, the boy's
life couldn't come to an end.
00:23:04.85\00:23:09.32
God had spoken, and
Abraham believed God.
00:23:09.35\00:23:13.42
As Romans 4, verse 3 says,
00:23:13.46\00:23:15.72
"For what does the Scripture
say? 'Abraham believed God,
00:23:15.76\00:23:19.23
and it was accounted to
him for righteousness.'"
00:23:19.26\00:23:22.00
And as Abraham was in the
throes of taking his son's life,
00:23:22.03\00:23:27.24
God intervened.
00:23:27.27\00:23:29.54
"The Angel of the Lord called
to him from heaven and said,
00:23:29.57\00:23:33.01
'Abraham, Abraham!'
So he said, 'Here I am.'
00:23:33.04\00:23:37.55
And He said, 'Do not
lay your hand on the lad,
00:23:37.58\00:23:40.78
or do anything to him; for
now I know that you fear God,
00:23:40.82\00:23:45.12
since you have not withheld your
son, your only son, from me.'"
00:23:45.15\00:23:50.19
"Now I know...you fear God."
00:23:50.96\00:23:53.76
And why was that?
00:23:53.80\00:23:55.03
Because you believed,
00:23:55.06\00:23:56.93
and you demonstrated
that belief by your actions.
00:23:56.97\00:24:00.10
You believed, and you obeyed.
00:24:00.14\00:24:02.87
You believed, and you
showed that belief in your life.
00:24:02.90\00:24:06.88
So how are things with you?
00:24:09.18\00:24:10.61
Are you living a life of faith?
00:24:10.65\00:24:12.51
Are you living "by every word
00:24:12.55\00:24:13.92
that proceeds
from the mouth of God"?
00:24:13.95\00:24:15.88
That's what faith
is. It's trusting God.
00:24:15.92\00:24:18.32
It's taking God at His word.
00:24:18.35\00:24:20.89
That's what Abraham chose to do.
00:24:20.92\00:24:23.53
Now, if you'd like
another example of great faith,
00:24:23.56\00:24:26.63
think about Isaac.
00:24:26.66\00:24:27.83
A young man more than
likely in his late teens.
00:24:27.86\00:24:30.13
His father says, "God has
told me to sacrifice you."
00:24:30.17\00:24:35.07
Now, what would you have done?
00:24:35.10\00:24:36.54
No one would have blamed
Isaac if he'd jumped up and,
00:24:36.57\00:24:38.81
jumped up and run off and
said, "Dad, you're crazy!"
00:24:38.84\00:24:41.58
But that's not what he
did. He submitted to his father.
00:24:41.61\00:24:43.91
Which tells us at
least three things.
00:24:43.95\00:24:46.31
One, he loved his dad.
00:24:46.35\00:24:48.35
Two, he trusted
and respected his dad.
00:24:48.38\00:24:51.05
And three, Abraham had lived
the kind of life as a daddy
00:24:51.09\00:24:55.39
that inspired
faithfulness in his son Isaac.
00:24:55.42\00:24:58.99
I think there's a lesson
there for parents everywhere.
00:24:59.03\00:25:01.76
And the story ends with
a truly beautiful verse.
00:25:01.80\00:25:04.63
Abraham had said to his son,
00:25:04.67\00:25:06.30
"[My] God
[shall] provide Himself
00:25:06.33\00:25:08.47
a lamb for a burnt offering."
00:25:08.50\00:25:10.21
That's exactly what God did.
00:25:10.71\00:25:12.41
¤[soft music]¤
00:25:12.44\00:25:13.81
Genesis 22:13, "Then Abraham
lifted his eyes and looked,
00:25:13.84\00:25:19.35
and there behind him was
a ram caught in a thicket
00:25:19.38\00:25:22.78
by its horns.
00:25:22.82\00:25:24.82
So Abraham went
and took the ram,
00:25:24.85\00:25:27.66
and offered it up for a burnt
offering instead of his son."
00:25:27.69\00:25:32.33
[traffic noise and
indistinct voices in background]
00:25:32.36\00:25:34.40
And what was this?
00:25:34.46\00:25:36.10
This was prefiguring Jesus,
00:25:36.13\00:25:37.60
who would die for
the sins of the world.
00:25:37.63\00:25:39.90
God did give Himself a
Lamb for a burnt offering:
00:25:39.93\00:25:43.00
Jesus, God in the flesh, who
died for the sins of the world.
00:25:43.04\00:25:47.91
And He did so pretty
much in exactly the same place
00:25:47.94\00:25:50.81
that Abraham offered that ram.
00:25:50.85\00:25:53.82
A beautiful
story, a story of faith.
00:25:53.85\00:25:56.62
Is anything too
hard for the Lord?
00:25:56.65\00:25:59.29
No, nothing.
00:25:59.32\00:26:00.92
An elderly woman giving birth?
00:26:00.96\00:26:02.76
If that's God's will, sure.
00:26:02.79\00:26:04.99
A patriarch
choosing to offer up his son?
00:26:05.03\00:26:07.50
Yes, because the man had faith.
00:26:07.56\00:26:11.80
Do you have faith in God?
00:26:11.83\00:26:13.47
Real faith?
00:26:13.50\00:26:14.57
Not just church-once-a-week
faith, but real faith?
00:26:14.60\00:26:18.81
I've decided to follow Jesus.
00:26:18.84\00:26:20.51
His Word is my will.
00:26:20.54\00:26:21.88
When the Bible
says it, I believe it.
00:26:21.91\00:26:23.91
And I want God's
will done in my life.
00:26:23.95\00:26:26.78
What a beautiful story of faith.
00:26:26.82\00:26:28.85
And Abraham's story of
faith can be your story.
00:26:28.88\00:26:33.86
>>John: Jesus said He
came into the world to give us
00:26:36.02\00:26:38.39
a more abundant life,
00:26:38.43\00:26:40.13
and you can have that
by making simple changes
00:26:40.16\00:26:42.23
that bring profound results.
00:26:42.26\00:26:44.20
And with that in mind, I'd like
to offer you a special book.
00:26:44.23\00:26:46.57
It's called
"Confidence in Chaos."
00:26:46.60\00:26:48.80
If you want to get
your heart right with God,
00:26:48.84\00:26:50.47
this is the book that's
going to set you on the path
00:26:50.51\00:26:52.31
to that place.
00:26:52.34\00:26:53.38
In order to get this
book, call right now.
00:26:53.41\00:26:55.08
The number is 1-800-253-3000,
00:26:55.11\00:26:59.05
and simply ask for
"Confidence in Chaos,"
00:26:59.08\00:27:01.85
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:27:01.88\00:27:05.15
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
00:27:06.72\00:27:08.66
Our Father in heaven,
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we come to You in the name
of Jesus, and we thank You.
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We thank You for
the gift of faith.
00:27:12.26\00:27:14.93
And we pray, as
the disciples pray,
00:27:14.93\00:27:17.23
"Increase our faith."
00:27:17.27\00:27:18.90
Friend, is there something
for which you need more faith?
00:27:18.93\00:27:22.57
Is there a struggle
you're having where,
00:27:22.60\00:27:23.91
where you can't see God, where
you're battling to see God?
00:27:23.94\00:27:27.04
Or are you drifting, and
you're not living your life
00:27:27.08\00:27:29.74
on the Word of God?
00:27:29.78\00:27:30.51
Tell God now, "I want faith.
00:27:30.55\00:27:33.85
I want to lean on Your
Word. I want to stand on Jesus."
00:27:33.88\00:27:37.49
Believe His
promises. Believe the Bible.
00:27:37.52\00:27:41.16
Father in heaven, we thank
You. We thank You for faith.
00:27:41.19\00:27:43.49
Grow our faith, we
pray, in Jesus' name.
00:27:43.53\00:27:48.20
Amen.
00:27:48.23\00:27:49.90
Thanks so much
for joining me today.
00:27:49.93\00:27:51.30
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:51.33\00:27:53.87
Until then, remember:
00:27:53.90\00:27:55.74
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:55.77\00:28:00.24
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:28:00.28\00:28:04.38
¤[theme music]¤
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