>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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There are few
things more beautiful,
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more peaceful, or more
relaxing than a place like this.
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¤[soft music]¤
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Botanical gardens are a
feature of many major cities,
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and if you've ever visited
somewhere like Butchart Gardens
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on Vancouver
Island in British Columbia
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or the remarkable 300-acre
Kew Gardens near Richmond
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in southwest London in England,
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you know how
spectacular they can be.
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And gardens like these
are typically kept immaculate.
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They're orderly,
everything in its place,
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manicured.
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But look closely and you'll see
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that things are
not as they appear.
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It's not all beauty.
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Things certainly aren't orderly,
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and they're
definitely not peaceful,
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at least not on
a biological level.
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Let me show you what I mean.
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¤[ominous music]¤
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Take a closer look and you'll
see a life-and-death drama
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playing out.
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Bugs or insects are going about
their rather ruthless business,
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hunting, preying on
other insects or spiders.
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Wasps attacking spiders.
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Ants hauling away
other bugs or insects.
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And often these little
things are locked in a battle,
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the outcome of
which isn't always sure.
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And it isn't pretty.
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These aren't sanitized
battles that are taking place.
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You've got little
creatures injecting venom,
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paralyzing their victims,
and then taking the victim,
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still alive, heart still
beating, but unable to move,
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back to its nest where it might
even lay eggs in the victim.
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In some cases, the eggs hatch,
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and the paralyzed victim
becomes a living food source.
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To advance its own interests,
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one little creature
takes the life of another.
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Look at a rosebush and
you'll often see aphids,
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which make their living by
piercing the tender young bark
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of the plant and
drinking the rich sap.
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These aphids are, in turn,
hunted by a voracious creature
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that we've somewhat
romanticized: the ladybug.
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A ladybug can eat
dozens of aphids in a day.
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It can actually bite humans.
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It doesn't feel like much
more than a little pinch for us,
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but for aphids, different story.
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A ladybug is an
aphid-eating machine.
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Basically, she takes their lives
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in order to advance
and further her own life.
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That's how she, or
he, for that matter,
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goes about his or her business.
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And there's no peace in the soil
underneath the beautiful bushes.
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The soil is alive.
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In a handful of soil are
billions of microorganisms.
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And they're at
war with each other.
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Opposing armies of different
types of microorganisms
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are almost
continually at battle,
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and the winner eats the loser.
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The opposing sides employ some
pretty sophisticated strategies
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and counter-strategies,
including mimicry,
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camouflage, and
chemical warfare.
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Let's call it what it is.
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In a handful of soil, there
plays out a hellish scenario
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of war, strife, and death.
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¤[ominous music]¤
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And what's happening
in the soil under our feet
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is not so different from
what's happening in the grass
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and the bushes and the trees
and the water all around us.
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In fact, from the
bottom of the oceans
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to the tops of the mountains,
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we see the same pattern
repeated throughout nature,
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where creatures
survive by taking the lives
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or the resources
of other creatures.
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By taking.
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Selfishness is
a fundamental part
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of the planet's
operating system.
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In fact, the
organizing principle
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of much of the
natural world is selfishness.
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And that
principle isn't confined
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only to the natural world.
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Selfishness is the
organizing principle
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for most human endeavors, our
global society, our industry,
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and our economy.
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Economists will tell you that
Wall Street can't really operate
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without it.
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In fact, pretty
much the entire world,
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from all of nature to
most everything humanity does,
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operates on a
selfishness paradigm.
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Or, in other words, on a
selfishness-based system.
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And for Christians,
that's a real problem.
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In fact, it's a huge problem.
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But at the same time,
it's a fitting way for us
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to start to talk about
the prequel of the Bible.
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Now, like any prequel,
the prequel of the Bible
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is the back story,
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the story behind the
stories that you know.
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But once you know the prequel,
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it makes everything else
you know fuller and deeper
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and more meaningful.
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And in our case,
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it helps explain a
world based on selfishness.
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¤[soft music]¤
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So, back to the question
of the selfishness paradigm
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and the way nature
and human society operate.
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Here's the
problem for Christians:
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The Bible says that
God created the world.
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More than that, in
the book of Genesis,
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the Bible gives a detailed
account of God's creation,
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of how He systematically
built up the fundamental systems
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of the world--our atmosphere,
our, our hydrosphere,
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our soil system--
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and how God added life forms to
populate each completed system--
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birds, fish,
plants, and animals.
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And then when all the
systems were complete,
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He added humans.
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The Bible describes
creation as a very intentional
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and systematic
process undertaken by God.
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It also says He was pleased
with each component system
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as He finished creating it.
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And that He was very
pleased with the final result,
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where all systems and
life forms worked together
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in one flawless,
balanced, intermeshed whole.
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But what kind of
world would God create?
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What kind of
world did He create?
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I'll have more in just a moment.
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¤[music]¤
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>>John: Now, here's a
question: Can God be trusted?
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Either you've asked
that question yourself,
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or you know somebody who has,
and I've got an answer for you.
00:06:51.47\00:06:55.01
I'd like you to
get today's free offer,
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"Can God Be Trusted?"
00:06:57.28\00:06:59.28
To receive it,
call 800-253-3000,
00:06:59.31\00:07:02.78
write to the
address on your screen,
00:07:02.82\00:07:04.55
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:07:04.59\00:07:08.02
"Can God Be Trusted?"
00:07:08.06\00:07:09.42
I have an answer
for you, 800-253-3000,
00:07:09.46\00:07:12.73
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:07:12.76\00:07:15.56
[fire crackling,
crickets chirping]
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[coyote barking]
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¤[ominous music]¤
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[insects chirping]
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[camera rattling]
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[wind blowing, insects
buzzing, feet crunching grass]
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[indistinct voices]
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[wind blowing]
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[night insects buzzing]
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¤[music]¤
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[dramatic sounds,
heart thumping, creaking]
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¤[dramatic music]¤
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[Crowd cheering]
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¤[soft music]¤
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>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
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on It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
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Now, the Bible
says that God is love.
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He is the very definition,
the very distillation of love.
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He's also a lot of other things.
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He's nurturing; He's caring;
He's generous; He's kind;
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He's supportive; He's creative.
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But God is love.
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Now, thinking
about this logically,
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if God is love, then
those things that He creates
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wouldn't be--in fact,
I would say couldn't be--
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in opposition to His character.
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But just by
observing the world around us,
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it's obvious the organizing
principle of the world
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is not love, but selfishness.
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That is, the organizing
principle of the world
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is the exact opposite
of what God says He is.
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Now, a God who would make
a world based on selfishness,
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where the things He made would
torture and kill one another,
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is not a God of
love but is a monster
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and isn't a God that
is worthy of our worship.
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Let me say that again:
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A God who would
intentionally create a world
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so that what He made was
designed to torture and to kill
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one another, that God is
not worthy of our worship.
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So this question: Who is God?
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This other
question: What did He make?
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They are very important.
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¤[soft music]¤
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As we look at
who and what God is
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and grapple with the difference
between who God says He is
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and what we see in
the world around us,
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we can run through
several possible reasons
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for what really is
a massive disparity.
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And I can think of four.
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One: Maybe who God says He
is and what we see in the world
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are different
because the Bible is false,
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and God is actually a monster
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who tortures the
things He creates.
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Number two:
Maybe there's no God.
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Maybe the Bible's
just a book of fables.
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That would explain it.
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Number three:
Perhaps the Bible is true,
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and God is who He says He is,
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but something
happened to change the world
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from the way He created
it into what it is today.
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And maybe
there's a fourth reason:
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Maybe God created the
world it actually is right now,
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but we simply don't
understand it or Him.
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Now, each one of these four
possibilities touches directly
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on the character and
the existence of God.
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As we start talking
about the state of the world,
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we're also thinking
about and talking about
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the character of God.
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So we have four possible
reasons for the disparity
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between who God says He is
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and what we see in
the world around us.
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God says that He is love.
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But the world around
us isn't based on love,
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but selfishness.
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So let's look at
those four possible reasons
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and see if we can
narrow down that list.
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What was our first reason?
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Maybe God actually is a monster
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who tortures the
things He creates.
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Well, the entire
Bible says otherwise.
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"God is love,"
1 John 4, verse 8.
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"I have loved you
with an everlasting love,"
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Jeremiah 31:3.
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"The thoughts I have towards
you are thoughts of peace
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and not of evil."
00:11:39.83\00:11:40.70
Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11.
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"God so loved the
world that He gave..."
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John 3:16.
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So we can reject
that first proposition.
00:11:47.47\00:11:50.81
Now, what was our second reason?
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There's no God, and the
Bible is a book of fables.
00:11:52.41\00:11:55.24
Well, this is It Is Written,
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and not "It Is
Proposed" or "It Is Speculated."
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So we'll scratch
that one off the list.
00:12:00.75\00:12:03.35
Now, let's look
at the fourth reason.
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God created the
world just like we see it,
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but we simply don't
understand it or that or Him.
00:12:08.09\00:12:11.63
Well, undoubtedly, there's a
lot that we don't understand,
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but God gave the Bible
so we could understand it.
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Jeremiah wrote, "And you
will seek me and find me,
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when you search for me
with all [of] your heart."
00:12:20.44\00:12:22.80
God wants us to know Him.
00:12:22.84\00:12:24.81
So, no.
00:12:24.84\00:12:26.91
Now, that leaves
one more possibility
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to explain the disparity
between who God says He is
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and what we see in the world:
00:12:32.31\00:12:34.72
The world changed
after God created it.
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The book of Job
helps us with this,
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especially Job chapter 38.
00:12:41.99\00:12:44.53
There's a conversation
going on between God and Job
00:12:44.56\00:12:47.13
where God says to Job,
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"Where were you when I
[created the world]? ...
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When the morning stars sang...
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and all the sons of
God shouted for joy?"
00:12:54.30\00:12:57.54
Now, there's a lot
going on between Job and God
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in this passage, but what
God said was very important
00:13:00.71\00:13:04.28
in relation to the
question that we're pursuing.
00:13:04.31\00:13:06.75
Did the earth change
after God created it?
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Those morning stars
God talks about are angels.
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When God created the earth,
it was so special, so beautiful,
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so amazing that the
angels sang and shouted for joy.
00:13:18.23\00:13:24.00
If God had created a world that
was contrary to His character,
00:13:24.03\00:13:27.97
if it was a
world where the natural
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and the biological
systems didn't operate on love,
00:13:29.70\00:13:33.11
on universal
giving and nurturing,
00:13:33.14\00:13:35.91
the angels would have responded
with shock and confusion.
00:13:35.94\00:13:39.31
But they sang,
and they celebrated,
00:13:39.35\00:13:42.18
indicating that the world
as it was originally created
00:13:42.22\00:13:45.19
was really different from
what we see around us now,
00:13:45.22\00:13:48.62
and it was completely consistent
with the character of God.
00:13:48.66\00:13:52.59
Its organizing
principle was love.
00:13:52.63\00:13:57.07
So can we be sure about that?
00:13:57.10\00:13:58.90
Well, yes, we can.
00:13:58.93\00:14:00.40
In the first part of Isaiah
chapter 11 Jesus is foretold,
00:14:00.44\00:14:04.27
including His
character and His ministry.
00:14:04.31\00:14:07.24
And then, a few characteristics
of His restored kingdom
00:14:07.28\00:14:10.75
are described, including that
a lion will lay down with a lamb
00:14:10.78\00:14:14.98
and that snakes will not
be a threat, even to children.
00:14:15.02\00:14:19.22
In verse 9, Christ is
quoted in the first person
00:14:19.25\00:14:22.36
and says of the
re-created earth,
00:14:22.39\00:14:24.63
"They shall not hurt nor destroy
in all my holy mountain."
00:14:24.66\00:14:29.70
Which means the re-created
earth will be very different
00:14:29.73\00:14:33.30
from the one in which we live.
00:14:33.34\00:14:34.77
It'll be so
different, in so many ways,
00:14:34.80\00:14:37.61
that it will require a
different organizing principle.
00:14:37.64\00:14:41.31
Its entire system of
operating will be different.
00:14:41.34\00:14:45.48
How does this assure us
that God didn't create the world
00:14:46.28\00:14:49.52
the way it is now?
00:14:49.55\00:14:50.75
[lions snarl]
00:14:50.79\00:14:52.62
Two things.
00:14:52.65\00:14:53.86
First, in that same chapter,
Isaiah 11, it says in verse 7,
00:14:53.89\00:14:58.93
"The cow and the
bear shall graze;
00:14:58.96\00:15:01.66
their young ones
shall lie down together;
00:15:01.70\00:15:04.13
and the lion shall
eat straw like the ox."
00:15:04.17\00:15:07.90
¤[soft music]¤
00:15:07.94\00:15:10.54
So bears will graze like
cows, and lions will eat straw.
00:15:10.57\00:15:15.28
This is so different from the
reality we now see around us.
00:15:15.31\00:15:19.71
We know that the world
just doesn't work that way,
00:15:19.75\00:15:21.48
at least not right now.
00:15:21.52\00:15:23.28
What the Bible
describes is foreign to us;
00:15:23.32\00:15:26.05
it's almost unbelievable.
00:15:26.09\00:15:28.36
But let's go back
to the book of Genesis,
00:15:28.39\00:15:32.03
towards the end of the first
chapter of this amazing book.
00:15:32.06\00:15:35.43
God is giving instructions
for His newly created earth.
00:15:35.46\00:15:39.97
There's a passage describing
what humans and animals
00:15:40.00\00:15:43.30
are supposed to eat.
00:15:43.34\00:15:44.71
And in verses 29 and
30, the Bible says this:
00:15:44.74\00:15:48.94
"And God said, 'See, I
have given you every herb
00:15:48.98\00:15:52.48
that yields seed which is
on the face of all the earth,
00:15:52.51\00:15:56.12
and every tree
whose fruit yields seed;
00:15:56.15\00:16:00.09
to you it shall be for food.
00:16:00.12\00:16:03.22
Also, to every beast of the
earth, to every bird of the air,
00:16:03.26\00:16:07.46
and to everything
that creeps on the earth,
00:16:07.50\00:16:09.50
in which there is life,
00:16:09.53\00:16:11.33
I have given every
green herb for food.'"
00:16:11.37\00:16:14.40
What the Bible is saying is
that everything God created,
00:16:14.44\00:16:17.91
humans and animals, ate plants.
00:16:17.94\00:16:21.71
They didn't kill
other creatures to survive.
00:16:21.74\00:16:24.51
Now, that kind of
world would require
00:16:24.55\00:16:25.98
an entirely
different system of operating
00:16:26.01\00:16:28.35
from what we
see around us today.
00:16:28.38\00:16:30.52
But then that's exactly
what the Bible says existed.
00:16:30.55\00:16:33.46
When God created the world,
it was profoundly different
00:16:33.49\00:16:37.79
from what we
see around us today.
00:16:37.83\00:16:40.23
And here's the thing;
00:16:40.26\00:16:41.63
God will return the
world to His original model
00:16:41.66\00:16:44.67
when the earth is made new.
00:16:44.70\00:16:46.67
And something
that wasn't changed
00:16:46.70\00:16:48.87
doesn't need to be restored.
00:16:48.90\00:16:50.77
Now, we can go
even further with this.
00:16:50.81\00:16:52.37
In Revelation
11:18, where John writes
00:16:52.41\00:16:55.14
about the very end of days
and the condition of the earth,
00:16:55.18\00:16:58.48
God says that He will "destroy
those who destroy the earth."
00:16:58.51\00:17:03.42
So not only is the
earth fundamentally changed,
00:17:03.45\00:17:06.65
not only did God not change
it, He's unhappy about it,
00:17:06.69\00:17:11.59
and He will bring to justice
those who did the changing.
00:17:11.63\00:17:14.83
He will destroy
those who did it.
00:17:14.83\00:17:18.10
So, based on
what the Bible says,
00:17:18.13\00:17:20.00
we can be sure that the
earth was changed dramatically,
00:17:20.04\00:17:23.64
fundamentally from
the way God created it.
00:17:23.67\00:17:26.84
We can also be sure that it will
be restored to what it once was.
00:17:26.88\00:17:31.95
Now, in a moment, I will
introduce you to a friend.
00:17:31.98\00:17:36.15
Well, not a friend exactly,
00:17:36.18\00:17:40.29
but a scorpion is a good example
of just what I'm talking about.
00:17:40.32\00:17:44.66
Back with more in just a moment.
00:17:44.69\00:17:47.50
¤[music]¤
00:17:47.56\00:17:53.50
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:17:56.57\00:17:58.54
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:17:58.57\00:18:01.98
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:18:02.01\00:18:05.21
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:18:05.25\00:18:09.48
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:18:09.52\00:18:10.95
to the address on your screen,
00:18:10.99\00:18:12.42
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:18:12.45\00:18:16.26
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:18:16.29\00:18:19.09
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:18:19.13\00:18:23.30
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:18:23.33\00:18:26.23
>>John: The experts say
he's living in our midst.
00:18:27.24\00:18:30.34
Many people claim
to have sighted him.
00:18:30.37\00:18:32.67
A famous film shot in the
1960s seems to show he exists.
00:18:32.71\00:18:36.78
But does he?
00:18:36.81\00:18:38.45
Does Bigfoot visit
campsites in towns and forests
00:18:38.48\00:18:41.75
across North America?
00:18:41.78\00:18:43.45
Don't miss "Bigfoot,"
part 1 of It Is Written series
00:18:43.49\00:18:47.99
"Conspiracy, More
Than Just a Theory."
00:18:48.02\00:18:51.39
You'll visit a museum dedicated
to Bigfoot and hear from a man
00:18:51.43\00:18:55.26
who claims to have
sighted a Sasquatch twice.
00:18:55.30\00:18:59.03
And you'll learn what the
Bible says about the conspiracy
00:18:59.07\00:19:01.84
playing out
right before your eyes,
00:19:01.87\00:19:04.17
a conspiracy of
eternal importance,
00:19:04.21\00:19:07.14
a conspiracy most
people are missing.
00:19:07.18\00:19:10.65
Make sure you know about the
greatest conspiracy of them all,
00:19:10.68\00:19:14.58
a global conspiracy involving
you and those you love.
00:19:14.62\00:19:18.49
Watch "Bigfoot" from the series
00:19:18.82\00:19:21.19
"Conspiracy, More
Than Just a Theory"
00:19:21.22\00:19:23.83
on It Is Written TV.
00:19:23.86\00:19:25.86
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:19:28.16\00:19:30.97
Now, here's a major question
that we really need to answer.
00:19:31.00\00:19:33.67
It baffles a lot of people.
00:19:33.70\00:19:35.90
How did the earth get
changed from what it was
00:19:35.94\00:19:39.04
to what it now is?
00:19:39.07\00:19:40.58
What happened to God's earth,
the earth He specially created,
00:19:40.61\00:19:44.85
the earth that
reflected His character,
00:19:44.88\00:19:46.55
the earth that
dazzled the angels?
00:19:46.58\00:19:49.65
This is the question that the
prequel of the Bible answers,
00:19:49.68\00:19:52.19
and we'll find that both
the question and the answer
00:19:52.22\00:19:56.36
are incredibly important.
00:19:56.39\00:19:58.39
Now, think of the implications
of what we're talking about.
00:20:01.03\00:20:04.13
This is God we are discussing.
00:20:04.17\00:20:06.00
He is the
distillation of loving-kindness.
00:20:06.03\00:20:09.04
How did the world,
the world made by God,
00:20:09.07\00:20:11.81
become something that
does not reflect His character?
00:20:11.84\00:20:15.38
Think through some
of these questions:
00:20:15.41\00:20:17.11
Can anything happen that's
contrary to the will of God?
00:20:17.15\00:20:21.35
How could it, if
God is all-powerful?
00:20:21.38\00:20:24.25
And if it did happen,
then how did it happen?
00:20:24.29\00:20:27.72
And think about Jesus
and His life and ministry.
00:20:27.76\00:20:30.49
How does Jesus
play into all of this?
00:20:30.53\00:20:33.73
We've answered some
important questions,
00:20:33.76\00:20:35.30
but a critical question remains.
00:20:35.33\00:20:38.07
How did the earth
become something that operates
00:20:38.10\00:20:40.84
according to
principles that are inconsistent
00:20:40.87\00:20:43.91
with the character of God?
00:20:43.94\00:20:45.64
¤[ominous music]¤
00:20:45.67\00:20:53.11
[scorpion skitters over gravel]
00:20:55.22\00:21:00.16
Now, let's think for a
moment about the scorpion.
00:21:14.14\00:21:18.71
You can find them
right here in the desert.
00:21:18.74\00:21:22.28
They're plentiful, actually.
00:21:22.31\00:21:24.28
You can find them very easily.
00:21:24.31\00:21:26.78
¤[fast percussion]¤
00:21:26.82\00:21:28.35
The scorpion is an
intimidating creature.
00:21:28.38\00:21:31.15
Look at that
stinger on its tail.
00:21:31.19\00:21:33.02
They're dangerous things.
00:21:33.05\00:21:35.02
But even apart from the stinger,
its claws are imposing as well,
00:21:35.06\00:21:38.99
and it uses its stinger and
claws together to deadly effect.
00:21:39.03\00:21:43.67
It's a predator that grabs other
small creatures and injects them
00:21:43.70\00:21:47.17
with excruciating poison,
00:21:47.20\00:21:49.80
a venom specifically designed
to overwhelm the nervous system.
00:21:49.84\00:21:55.01
Now, the venom works in
a couple of different ways.
00:21:55.04\00:21:57.75
The prey is overwhelmed
with excruciating pain.
00:21:57.78\00:22:01.25
Before long, it cannot
coordinate its movements,
00:22:01.28\00:22:04.35
and it's incapacitated.
00:22:04.39\00:22:06.39
And then the
scorpion will eat its prey,
00:22:06.42\00:22:10.33
whether it's dead or alive.
00:22:10.36\00:22:13.13
And female
scorpions will, at times,
00:22:13.16\00:22:16.13
actually eat male scorpions
during or after mating.
00:22:16.16\00:22:21.17
Some scorpions, not
this one, fortunately,
00:22:24.24\00:22:27.14
can actually kill
people with their sting,
00:22:27.18\00:22:29.84
scorpions such
as the deathstalker.
00:22:29.88\00:22:32.61
That's one that you'd
find in the Middle East.
00:22:32.65\00:22:35.08
Now, this one wouldn't
kill me if it stung me,
00:22:35.12\00:22:36.95
but it would hurt,
00:22:36.99\00:22:38.12
something like a bee
sting, maybe a little more.
00:22:38.15\00:22:41.02
So I would treat this one
with a great deal of caution
00:22:41.06\00:22:43.56
and respect.
00:22:43.59\00:22:45.36
Altogether, the
scorpion was cunningly,
00:22:45.39\00:22:47.93
it was brilliantly
designed for its purpose
00:22:47.96\00:22:50.50
and for its environment.
00:22:50.53\00:22:51.73
But the question the
scorpion raises is this:
00:22:51.77\00:22:55.24
Does it reflect
the character of God,
00:22:55.27\00:22:57.57
that is, as we know it now?
00:22:57.61\00:22:59.71
And if it doesn't, how
did it come to be this way?
00:22:59.74\00:23:03.45
¤[somber music]¤
00:23:03.48\00:23:07.62
The prequel of the
Bible answers this question,
00:23:07.65\00:23:10.52
and the prequel takes the form
of a hidden story in the Bible,
00:23:10.55\00:23:14.16
an intentionally
hidden story, actually.
00:23:14.19\00:23:16.83
And it takes some real
diligence to track it down.
00:23:16.86\00:23:19.33
It's scattered across books
of the Bible that were written
00:23:19.36\00:23:21.76
over a period of
some 1,500 years.
00:23:21.80\00:23:24.43
And it's non-linear.
00:23:24.47\00:23:26.47
By that, I mean it doesn't
appear in order in the Bible.
00:23:26.50\00:23:30.57
One writer has part of the
middle of the story, let's say,
00:23:30.61\00:23:33.71
while another writer
hundreds of years later
00:23:33.74\00:23:35.51
fills in part of the
beginning of the story.
00:23:35.54\00:23:37.81
The fact that it's non-linear
is actually quite important
00:23:37.85\00:23:41.02
because the Bible treats
some key material this way,
00:23:41.05\00:23:44.72
as in the book of Revelation.
00:23:44.75\00:23:46.65
As non-linear Bible stories go,
00:23:46.69\00:23:48.52
what we're going to look at next
is probably the prime example.
00:23:48.56\00:23:53.40
And when we unlock the story,
00:23:53.43\00:23:55.46
you might find it profoundly
alters your understanding
00:23:55.50\00:23:58.30
of why there is
death, disease, suffering,
00:23:58.33\00:24:01.40
and injustice in the world.
00:24:01.44\00:24:03.41
It also explains why
this creature exists.
00:24:03.44\00:24:06.34
So what do we know about God?
00:24:06.37\00:24:08.34
We know that God is love.
00:24:08.38\00:24:10.21
John wrote those
words twice in nine verses
00:24:10.25\00:24:13.38
in the book of 1 John.
00:24:13.42\00:24:15.32
Here's what we know.
00:24:16.32\00:24:17.69
Out of this chaos, God is going
to create something phenomenal.
00:24:17.72\00:24:22.19
¤[soft music]¤
00:24:22.22\00:24:23.43
Revelation 21:4 says that "God
shall wipe away all tears...
00:24:23.46\00:24:29.00
and there shall
be no more death,
00:24:29.03\00:24:31.53
neither sorrow, nor crying,
00:24:31.57\00:24:34.30
neither shall
there be any more pain:
00:24:34.34\00:24:36.67
for the former
things are passed away."
00:24:36.71\00:24:40.51
In Isaiah 65:17, God says,
00:24:40.54\00:24:43.31
"I create new
heavens and a new earth:
00:24:43.35\00:24:46.28
and the former
shall not be remembered
00:24:46.31\00:24:48.22
nor come into mind."
00:24:48.25\00:24:50.12
John wrote in Revelation 21:1,
00:24:50.15\00:24:52.72
"And I saw a new
heaven and a new earth:
00:24:52.75\00:24:55.99
for the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away."
00:24:56.02\00:25:00.70
One day, no more bugs
paralyzing other bugs.
00:25:00.73\00:25:05.07
No more toxic venom.
00:25:05.10\00:25:07.14
Better yet, no more crime, no
more murder, no more injustice.
00:25:07.17\00:25:14.11
You know, Peter
noticed what we notice.
00:25:14.14\00:25:16.71
He noticed a dysfunctional
world coming apart.
00:25:16.75\00:25:20.22
He noticed the world filled
with death and hate and pain,
00:25:20.25\00:25:23.92
and he wrote in 2
Peter 3 in verse 13,
00:25:23.95\00:25:27.06
"Nevertheless we,
according to His promise,
00:25:27.09\00:25:30.09
look for new
heavens and a new earth
00:25:30.13\00:25:33.63
in which righteousness dwells."
00:25:33.66\00:25:36.73
And we do. We look for that.
00:25:37.93\00:25:40.44
Are you looking for that?
00:25:40.47\00:25:41.80
If you are, I can tell
you where you can find it.
00:25:41.84\00:25:44.67
You can find it in Jesus Christ,
00:25:44.71\00:25:47.24
who left heaven and came
to this earth gone astray
00:25:47.28\00:25:50.58
to show you that in
spite of what you see,
00:25:50.61\00:25:52.81
in spite of what
you don't understand,
00:25:52.85\00:25:55.22
that God is love,
00:25:55.25\00:25:57.49
and that the God who is love
00:25:57.52\00:25:59.35
loves you and wants you
to spend eternity with Him.
00:25:59.39\00:26:04.33
Next time on It Is Written,
00:26:07.40\00:26:09.00
we'll delve deeper into
the prequel of the Bible.
00:26:09.03\00:26:12.60
We'll find out how it
came to be that the earth
00:26:12.63\00:26:14.47
was so radically
changed from what it was
00:26:14.50\00:26:17.81
to what it has become.
00:26:17.84\00:26:19.61
And we'll begin to answer some
of the most important questions
00:26:19.64\00:26:23.55
that have ever been posed.
00:26:23.58\00:26:25.81
>>John: Now, here's a
question: Can God be trusted?
00:26:27.45\00:26:31.19
Either you've asked
that question yourself,
00:26:31.22\00:26:33.02
or you know somebody who has,
and I've got an answer for you.
00:26:33.05\00:26:36.62
I'd like you to
get today's free offer,
00:26:36.66\00:26:38.83
"Can God Be Trusted?"
00:26:38.86\00:26:40.90
To receive it,
call 800-253-3000,
00:26:40.93\00:26:44.33
write to the
address on your screen,
00:26:44.37\00:26:46.10
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:26:46.13\00:26:49.64
"Can God Be Trusted?"
00:26:49.67\00:26:51.04
I have an answer
for you, 800-253-3000,
00:26:51.07\00:26:54.34
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:26:54.38\00:26:57.25
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
00:26:58.25\00:26:59.91
Our Father in
heaven, we thank You today
00:26:59.95\00:27:02.48
that in spite of the confusion
and the chaos and the carnage
00:27:02.52\00:27:05.82
that we see in the world today,
00:27:05.85\00:27:07.89
that high above
the circle of the earth
00:27:07.92\00:27:09.69
there is a God who is love,
00:27:09.72\00:27:11.79
a God whose Son Jesus will
one soon day come to this earth
00:27:11.83\00:27:15.86
and take us home to a
place of absolute perfection.
00:27:15.90\00:27:19.50
We pray that that
day would come soon,
00:27:19.53\00:27:21.80
but until it does,
give us faith in You.
00:27:21.84\00:27:24.94
Help us to trust in
You, to believe in You.
00:27:24.97\00:27:27.88
We thank You; we
praise You; we love You.
00:27:27.91\00:27:29.61
This is Your world.
00:27:29.64\00:27:31.01
We look forward to
Your kingdom to come,
00:27:31.05\00:27:33.18
in Jesus' name.
00:27:33.21\00:27:34.98
Amen.
00:27:35.02\00:27:36.32
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:36.35\00:27:37.42
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:37.45\00:27:39.85
Until then, remember:
00:27:39.89\00:27:41.66
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:41.69\00:27:45.33
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:45.36\00:27:51.20
¤[theme music]¤
00:27:51.23\00:27:57.91