>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
00:00:19.61\00:00:21.58
I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
00:00:21.62\00:00:24.62
You might not be
especially amazed by this tree.
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It's an evergreen, a pine
tree, and aside from its beauty,
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it looks, well, unremarkable.
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But this plain
pine tree is, in fact,
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a Monterey pine, and there are
just a couple of natural stands
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of these trees left in
coastal central California.
00:00:44.74\00:00:49.31
So it's a little rare.
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At least, it's rare
in its native habitat.
00:00:51.51\00:00:54.42
But in countries like
New Zealand and Chile,
00:00:54.45\00:00:57.22
Australia,
Spain, and South Africa,
00:00:57.25\00:00:59.75
the Monterey
pine, or pinus radiata,
00:00:59.79\00:01:03.02
is the most
planted of all pines,
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creating an entire lumber
industry around this one tree.
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And they can get tall,
with the average being somewhere
00:01:09.80\00:01:12.17
between 50 and 115
feet tall in the wild
00:01:12.20\00:01:17.21
or around 150 feet,
about 46 1/2 meters,
00:01:17.24\00:01:21.34
when they're cultivated.
00:01:21.38\00:01:23.45
There's some
debate among arborists
00:01:23.48\00:01:25.71
about where the
tallest Monterey pine is.
00:01:25.75\00:01:28.72
Some say it's in New Zealand.
00:01:28.75\00:01:30.49
Others say South Africa.
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But one thing's for sure:
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It's not here in
Monterey, California,
00:01:34.39\00:01:36.76
among the
remaining natural forests.
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Now, there's something
interesting about this tree.
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It can teach us a lot
about the character of God,
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about the
backstory of the Bible,
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the prequel of the
Bible, if you will.
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It can even teach us something
about the sequel of the Bible.
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In this series we've looked
at the prequel of the Bible,
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the story of Satan's
rebellion against God.
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We've investigated the
war that began in heaven
00:02:02.38\00:02:04.72
and continues
here on this earth,
00:02:04.75\00:02:06.89
a war that impacts everyone
everywhere, all the time.
00:02:06.92\00:02:11.36
What we know is that
Satan's rebellion against God
00:02:11.39\00:02:13.70
was a political rebellion.
00:02:13.73\00:02:16.36
This was a clash of ideas,
00:02:16.40\00:02:17.93
a clash of, of
governing philosophies.
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Satan campaigned against God
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to attract
followers and displace God.
00:02:23.54\00:02:27.21
He attacked God's character.
00:02:27.24\00:02:29.31
He said that God was
fundamentally selfish
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and unfair, stating
that what God wanted to do
00:02:31.71\00:02:35.62
was hold back the human family
00:02:35.65\00:02:38.35
and keep the
very best for Himself.
00:02:38.39\00:02:41.02
As with any political campaign,
Satan offered a platform,
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his way of running the universe.
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He rejected God's plan--
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God's plan based
on lovingkindness
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and universal giving, where
the objective is mutual benefit.
00:02:51.80\00:02:56.10
Satan's plan was
based on selfishness
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and opportunistic taking,
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where the objectives
are power and domination.
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And he had a
surprising amount of success,
00:03:04.88\00:03:07.25
attracting to his
side, according to the Bible,
00:03:07.28\00:03:10.22
one-third of all
the angels in heaven.
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Once Satan usurped
dominion of the world
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by conquering Adam and Eve,
00:03:16.66\00:03:18.36
he got to work setting
up his system for the world.
00:03:18.39\00:03:22.03
He twisted and he
perverted creation
00:03:22.06\00:03:24.00
so that the amazing
things that God had made were,
00:03:24.03\00:03:27.04
to a great extent, obscured.
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And then he got about
obliterating the evidence
00:03:29.74\00:03:32.54
of the character of God
00:03:32.57\00:03:33.94
as you once would have
seen it in the natural world.
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Satan set in place
for this earth a system
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based on selfishness.
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¤[soft music]¤
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So here we are, living on earth
as Satan's system plays out,
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and the entire universe is able
to see more and more clearly
00:03:51.63\00:03:55.96
that Satan's system
is a complete disaster.
00:03:56.00\00:03:59.33
The problem for him, and for us,
00:03:59.37\00:04:02.00
is that selfishness as a
system collapses in on itself.
00:04:02.04\00:04:06.21
Since the world we live on
is organized around selfishness,
00:04:06.24\00:04:09.81
we're observing in real
time the accelerating decay
00:04:09.84\00:04:13.25
of all the natural systems
and living creatures of earth,
00:04:13.28\00:04:16.79
as well as society itself.
00:04:16.82\00:04:19.05
Now, this won't go on forever.
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Eventually Satan's rebellion
will be universally seen
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as a complete failure,
00:04:24.13\00:04:25.83
and Christ will return to the
earth to redeem His followers.
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And judging by the prophecies we
see being fulfilled around us,
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that tipping point
is very, very close.
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That, in a nutshell, is
the prequel of the Bible,
00:04:37.57\00:04:41.04
the backstory of the Bible.
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So what, then, is
the sequel of the Bible?
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Well, being a sequel,
it's what comes after,
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and like the prequel,
00:04:49.15\00:04:50.52
it's directly related to
God's character, to who He is.
00:04:50.55\00:04:55.12
Now, to try and
explain a bit about the sequel
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and God's character, I'm going
to use an interesting tree,
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a tree I'll tell you
more about in just a moment.
00:05:02.73\00:05:05.77
¤[music]¤
00:05:05.80\00:05:11.77
>>John: If you're
planning on being part
00:05:14.84\00:05:16.41
of God's eternal
kingdom of lovingkindness,
00:05:16.44\00:05:19.98
I've got something for you.
00:05:20.02\00:05:21.45
Be sure to call right now
00:05:21.48\00:05:22.62
800-253-3000
00:05:22.65\00:05:25.02
and ask for "Steps to Christ."
00:05:25.05\00:05:27.59
It's the best book I've
ever read outside of the Bible
00:05:27.62\00:05:30.99
on having a successful
relationship with Jesus
00:05:31.03\00:05:33.63
that will see you into eternity.
00:05:33.66\00:05:35.70
Get it for yourself or
someone you care about.
00:05:35.73\00:05:37.50
"Steps to Christ."
00:05:37.53\00:05:38.50
Call 800-253-3000
00:05:38.53\00:05:41.47
or go to iiwoffer.com.
00:05:41.50\00:05:44.07
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:05:45.07\00:05:47.48
So far in this series,
00:05:47.51\00:05:49.01
we've looked at examples of how
Satan's system of selfishness,
00:05:49.04\00:05:53.88
which reflects his character,
are seen in the natural world.
00:05:53.92\00:05:57.32
We've looked at
rattlesnakes and beaded lizards,
00:05:57.35\00:06:00.46
and we've looked at scorpions.
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It's not that they're
not beautiful or impressive--
00:06:02.39\00:06:05.09
they are both--but they show
that sin and death have entered
00:06:05.13\00:06:10.00
into the natural world, and that
was not God's original plan.
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So thousands of years
after the rise of sin,
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can we see in the world around
us examples of God's character,
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remnants of His original model?
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Yes, we can.
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I'd like to
show you one of them,
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a beautiful tree, the
Monterey cypress, or macrocarpa.
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The Monterey cypress
is an interesting tree.
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It absolutely loves
being right next to the ocean.
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The windier and the
foggier, the better.
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The trees that are
exposed to constant winds
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take on bent and twisted shapes
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over the hundreds of
years that they live.
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And some of them are
absolutely beautiful.
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The tree has
been planted widely,
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especially in
coastal California.
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But there are
only two native stands,
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one here at Point
Lobos State Natural Reserve
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and one nearby at Pebble Beach.
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In fact, the trademark of the
famed Pebble Beach Golf Course
00:07:05.92\00:07:09.89
is a drawing of
a Monterey cypress.
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But aside from being ruggedly
beautiful and interesting,
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this tree can
teach us about God.
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Not just this tree
actually, but all trees.
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You see, God's
character is one of giving,
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and God looks to bless
with every interaction.
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Now, the system that He
created is just the same
00:07:32.35\00:07:35.55
and works on
the same principles.
00:07:35.58\00:07:38.35
Now, we can't find
any examples of trees
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as they were originally created,
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and it's not known to
what extent they've changed
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over the millennia.
00:07:46.43\00:07:47.93
But if we take
them at face value,
00:07:47.96\00:07:50.10
there's a lot that we can learn
about God and His character
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and God's system...from trees.
00:07:53.30\00:07:57.41
For instance, right now, the
small leaves on this big tree
00:07:57.44\00:08:01.84
are engaging in photosynthesis
00:08:01.88\00:08:04.01
to produce sugars
that nourish the tree.
00:08:04.05\00:08:07.45
Through the same action,
they're also producing oxygen
00:08:07.48\00:08:10.75
and taking in carbon dioxide.
00:08:10.79\00:08:13.49
They're performing
a chemical exchange
00:08:13.52\00:08:15.62
that makes our lives possible.
00:08:15.66\00:08:17.96
At the same time, trees are
home to an astonishing array
00:08:17.99\00:08:21.96
of insects,
birds, and small animals.
00:08:22.00\00:08:26.30
And, of course, millions of
trees are harvested to provide
00:08:26.33\00:08:29.10
not only paper products
but the building materials
00:08:29.14\00:08:32.21
out of which we make our homes.
00:08:32.24\00:08:34.88
Trees also produce large
amounts of leaves or needles
00:08:34.91\00:08:38.35
that enrich the soil.
00:08:38.38\00:08:40.35
And many produce fruit or nuts,
00:08:40.38\00:08:42.58
which become food for humans,
animals, insects, and bacteria.
00:08:42.62\00:08:47.86
Fundamentally, trees give
to everything else in the world
00:08:47.89\00:08:52.49
with every interaction,
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and they don't take anything
that's not given to them.
00:08:54.46\00:08:57.23
So they're a good
example of how things were
00:08:57.27\00:08:59.20
when God first
created the earth.
00:08:59.23\00:09:01.84
They're also a good
example of the sequel,
00:09:01.87\00:09:05.57
how things are
going to be in heaven
00:09:05.61\00:09:07.94
and in the earth made new.
00:09:07.98\00:09:09.98
So what we see is that in
order to get a clear picture
00:09:11.25\00:09:14.28
of the prequel to the Bible,
00:09:14.32\00:09:16.32
we've got to go throughout the
Bible and get the various pieces
00:09:16.35\00:09:19.65
and, and put them together,
a little bit like a puzzle,
00:09:19.69\00:09:22.22
and then we see clearly this,
00:09:22.26\00:09:23.99
this backstory
of the Word of God.
00:09:24.03\00:09:26.86
The same is basically true
for the sequel of the Bible,
00:09:26.90\00:09:30.43
where we deal with
heaven and the earth made new.
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Here's what we know for sure:
00:09:33.57\00:09:35.34
One day, God is
going to completely destroy
00:09:35.37\00:09:38.24
this sin-twisted
earth and then remake it.
00:09:38.27\00:09:42.08
In 2 Peter 3:10 we read that
"the day of the Lord will come
00:09:43.48\00:09:47.42
as a thief in the night,
00:09:47.45\00:09:49.55
in which the heavens will
pass away with a great noise,
00:09:49.58\00:09:52.89
and the elements will
melt with fervent heat;
00:09:52.92\00:09:55.52
both the earth and
the works that are in it
00:09:55.56\00:09:57.96
will be burned up."
00:09:57.99\00:10:00.16
Then God will
create a new earth.
00:10:00.20\00:10:03.60
The Apostle John,
writing in Revelation 21:1-4,
00:10:03.63\00:10:07.20
gives us a vivid description:
00:10:07.24\00:10:10.44
"Now I saw a new
heaven and a new earth,
00:10:10.47\00:10:14.58
for the first heaven and
the first earth had passed away.
00:10:14.61\00:10:18.61
And there was no more sea.
00:10:18.65\00:10:21.18
Then I, John, saw the
holy city, New Jerusalem,
00:10:21.22\00:10:25.19
coming down out
of heaven from God,
00:10:25.22\00:10:27.62
prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband.
00:10:27.66\00:10:31.66
And I heard a loud
voice from heaven saying,
00:10:31.69\00:10:34.46
'Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men,
00:10:34.50\00:10:38.13
and He will dwell with them,
00:10:38.17\00:10:40.00
and they shall be His people.
00:10:40.04\00:10:42.60
God Himself will be
with them and be their God.
00:10:42.64\00:10:46.44
And God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes;
00:10:46.47\00:10:50.85
there shall be no more
death, nor sorrow, nor crying.
00:10:50.88\00:10:56.62
There shall be no more pain,
00:10:56.65\00:10:58.99
for the former
things have passed away.'"
00:10:59.02\00:11:02.49
We're told in
Romans 8 and verse 22
00:11:03.49\00:11:05.93
that all of creation
groans under the weight of sin.
00:11:05.96\00:11:09.96
Romans 6:23 says the
consequences of sin is death.
00:11:10.00\00:11:15.60
So you can know that in
heaven, in an earth made new,
00:11:15.64\00:11:19.51
there won't be any sickness.
00:11:19.54\00:11:21.48
There'll be no
suffering, no pain.
00:11:21.51\00:11:23.98
There'll be no death.
00:11:24.01\00:11:25.85
Satan, his old order of things,
his system of selfishness,
00:11:25.88\00:11:31.15
will be completely gone.
00:11:31.19\00:11:33.69
Now, while that talks to
us something about heaven,
00:11:36.52\00:11:38.89
it tells us mostly
what heaven won't be like,
00:11:38.93\00:11:42.73
which leaves hanging, of course,
00:11:42.76\00:11:43.90
the question of
what heaven will be like.
00:11:43.93\00:11:47.00
So, in a moment, we'll
go looking into the Bible,
00:11:47.04\00:11:49.97
and we'll piece together
as much of that as we can.
00:11:50.01\00:11:53.48
¤[music]¤
00:11:53.51\00:11:59.48
>>John: If you're
planning on being part
00:12:02.48\00:12:04.19
of God's eternal
kingdom of lovingkindness,
00:12:04.22\00:12:07.76
I've got something for you.
00:12:07.79\00:12:09.22
Be sure to call
right now 800-253-3000
00:12:09.26\00:12:12.83
and ask for "Steps to Christ."
00:12:12.86\00:12:15.33
It's the best book I've
ever read outside of the Bible
00:12:15.36\00:12:18.73
on having a successful
relationship with Jesus
00:12:18.77\00:12:21.37
that will see you into eternity.
00:12:21.40\00:12:23.51
Get it for yourself or
someone you care about.
00:12:23.54\00:12:25.31
"Steps to Christ."
00:12:25.34\00:12:26.31
Call 800-253-3000
00:12:26.34\00:12:29.18
or go to iiwoffer.com.
00:12:29.21\00:12:31.85
>>John: In ancient times,
00:12:32.95\00:12:34.35
it was believed
that the earth was flat,
00:12:34.38\00:12:37.35
until a few hundred years
before Jesus came to the earth.
00:12:37.39\00:12:40.82
It was then that people
discovered that the earth was,
00:12:40.86\00:12:43.16
in fact, a sphere like a ball.
00:12:43.19\00:12:46.80
But in recent years
there's been a resurgence
00:12:46.83\00:12:49.20
in the belief
that the earth is flat.
00:12:49.23\00:12:52.50
Be sure to watch "Flat Earth,"
00:12:52.53\00:12:54.90
part 5 of the It
Is Written series
00:12:54.94\00:12:57.14
"Conspiracy, More
Than Just a Theory."
00:12:57.17\00:13:00.34
You'll hear from
a leading proponent
00:13:00.38\00:13:02.31
of the flat earth theory,
00:13:02.34\00:13:03.98
and you'll learn what the
Bible says about the conspiracy
00:13:04.01\00:13:06.82
playing right
out before your eyes,
00:13:06.85\00:13:09.15
a conspiracy of
eternal importance,
00:13:09.18\00:13:11.45
a conspiracy most
people are missing.
00:13:11.49\00:13:14.96
Don't be unaware of the
greatest conspiracy of them all,
00:13:14.99\00:13:18.93
one that involves
you and those you love.
00:13:18.96\00:13:21.80
Watch "Flat Earth"
00:13:21.83\00:13:23.67
from the series "Conspiracy,
More Than Just a Theory"
00:13:23.70\00:13:28.00
on It Is Written TV.
00:13:28.04\00:13:31.27
>>John Bradshaw: Consider for
a moment the character of God.
00:13:34.34\00:13:37.45
The Bible says that God is love.
He's the very essence of love.
00:13:37.48\00:13:41.62
And 'way back in the beginning,
00:13:41.65\00:13:43.25
He created a world especially
designed to thrill us,
00:13:43.28\00:13:47.72
to bless us, to please
us, to satisfy us, always.
00:13:47.76\00:13:51.46
In fact, you
read Job 38, verse 7,
00:13:51.49\00:13:54.46
and it
indicates that at creation
00:13:54.50\00:13:57.13
angels sang, and "the
sons of God shouted for joy."
00:13:57.17\00:14:01.74
It was that good.
00:14:01.77\00:14:03.54
Now, when the
earth is re-created,
00:14:03.57\00:14:05.21
it's going to be
that good and more.
00:14:05.24\00:14:07.81
It will be even better.
00:14:07.84\00:14:10.21
So throughout eternity
we will dwell in a place
00:14:10.25\00:14:13.25
that has been calculated by
God to completely delight us.
00:14:13.28\00:14:18.22
We also know that we'll be
part of God's administration
00:14:21.69\00:14:24.96
of the universe.
00:14:24.99\00:14:26.46
When the earth was created,
humans were given dominion.
00:14:26.49\00:14:29.56
We were in charge of
overseeing the earth.
00:14:29.60\00:14:32.73
Satan usurped our dominion
when he conquered Adam and Eve.
00:14:32.77\00:14:37.01
It's reasonable to
expect that with the re-creation
00:14:37.04\00:14:39.67
of the earth, our
dominion will be restored.
00:14:39.71\00:14:43.24
So one thing we'll be
doing is overseeing the earth.
00:14:43.28\00:14:47.05
We'll also be doing a
whole lot more than that.
00:14:47.08\00:14:49.22
In 2 Timothy 2:12 it
says that those who endured
00:14:49.25\00:14:52.52
and remain true to
God will "reign with Him."
00:14:52.55\00:14:56.32
What that means exactly,
we can't really be sure,
00:14:56.36\00:15:00.43
but we know that we'll join in
some aspect of Christ's reign.
00:15:00.46\00:15:04.83
But all that will likely take
up just a slice of our time.
00:15:04.87\00:15:08.40
For what we'll do
with the rest of our time,
00:15:08.44\00:15:11.04
let's look again at creation.
00:15:11.07\00:15:12.97
We're told in Genesis 1:27
00:15:13.01\00:15:14.68
that we were
created in the image of God.
00:15:14.71\00:15:17.65
God gave us the
ability to think, to reason,
00:15:17.68\00:15:20.52
to create, to do.
00:15:20.55\00:15:23.02
He created us to constantly
accrue or develop abilities
00:15:23.05\00:15:27.46
and have joy in using them.
00:15:27.49\00:15:29.82
He created us as
social creatures.
00:15:29.86\00:15:32.66
We love talking to others,
exchanging thoughts and ideas,
00:15:32.69\00:15:35.46
hearing
stories, telling stories.
00:15:35.50\00:15:38.43
So it would seem that a
significant part of the delight
00:15:38.47\00:15:41.44
God designed for us in the
eternity of heaven is being us,
00:15:41.47\00:15:46.34
being the inquisitive, social,
creative, learning creatures
00:15:46.37\00:15:49.71
that He made us to be.
00:15:49.74\00:15:51.31
God designed us to
joyfully create things.
00:15:51.35\00:15:55.65
Maybe what we'll want to do
is make an amazing country home
00:15:55.68\00:15:59.05
for ourselves.
00:15:59.09\00:16:00.82
We'll be
deliberate about designing it,
00:16:00.86\00:16:02.59
looking at what
others are doing,
00:16:02.62\00:16:03.93
discussing
their ideas with them.
00:16:03.96\00:16:05.86
After all, there's no
shortage of time in heaven.
00:16:05.89\00:16:08.80
So we'll want to find the exact
spot where we'd like to build,
00:16:08.83\00:16:11.80
then find and cut
the exact stone we want
00:16:11.83\00:16:14.37
for the foundation--or
the interior or the exterior.
00:16:14.40\00:16:18.11
Maybe we'll want
to use massive beams.
00:16:18.14\00:16:20.34
Maybe we'll want to grow
our beautiful beams from seed.
00:16:20.38\00:16:23.35
Who knows.
00:16:23.38\00:16:24.45
Isaiah said in Isaiah 65
00:16:24.48\00:16:26.82
that we'll build
homes and inhabit them.
00:16:26.85\00:16:30.29
And then, of
course, there's the travel.
00:16:30.32\00:16:33.36
We'll be able to go
anywhere in the entire universe
00:16:33.39\00:16:37.06
and see sights
and meet new people.
00:16:37.09\00:16:40.40
Distance won't matter.
00:16:40.43\00:16:43.13
Everything you read
in the Bible suggests
00:16:43.16\00:16:45.33
heaven and the new earth
will be a fantastic, amazing,
00:16:45.37\00:16:51.01
social, creative experience
00:16:51.04\00:16:54.81
that will constantly
amaze and delight us.
00:16:54.84\00:16:58.41
Now, as strange as it may
seem, I've actually met people
00:16:59.35\00:17:02.72
who have said they
don't want to go to heaven.
00:17:02.75\00:17:05.19
They don't like the
idea of living forever.
00:17:05.22\00:17:08.36
That they are, oddly enough,
00:17:08.39\00:17:10.56
almost scared of the
idea of everlasting life.
00:17:10.59\00:17:13.83
Now, I want to
challenge that thinking.
00:17:13.86\00:17:16.00
It would seem to me--
00:17:16.03\00:17:17.07
in fact, I'd almost be
willing to guarantee you--
00:17:17.10\00:17:19.67
that your view on
what heaven will be like
00:17:19.70\00:17:23.27
will match up pretty well with
your view of what Jesus is like.
00:17:23.30\00:17:28.21
If you think that
Jesus is intimidating
00:17:28.24\00:17:30.68
and distant and scary,
00:17:30.71\00:17:32.45
then heaven isn't going
to hold much appeal for you.
00:17:32.48\00:17:35.48
If you think that Jesus is
boring and stuffy and tedious,
00:17:35.52\00:17:39.09
well, you're probably
going to think about heaven
00:17:39.12\00:17:41.39
in the same way.
00:17:41.42\00:17:42.46
But Jesus is
amazing. Jesus is wonderful.
00:17:42.49\00:17:46.19
There's no one
ever been more friendly,
00:17:46.23\00:17:48.03
more loving, more
kind, more gracious,
00:17:48.06\00:17:51.80
and so you can know
that heaven is going to be
00:17:51.83\00:17:54.30
that sort of place.
00:17:54.34\00:17:55.40
In fact, the
Bible tells us as much.
00:17:55.44\00:17:58.17
In 1 Corinthians
chapter 2, verse 9:
00:17:58.21\00:18:01.24
"Eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard,
00:18:01.28\00:18:04.48
neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things
00:18:04.51\00:18:07.92
which God hath prepared
for them that love Him."
00:18:07.95\00:18:11.22
Jesus and the Bible are
far, far better than anything
00:18:11.25\00:18:15.62
that you could imagine.
00:18:15.66\00:18:17.16
If your opinion of
heaven isn't very high,
00:18:17.19\00:18:19.46
if you don't have a
great view of the hereafter,
00:18:19.49\00:18:22.46
what I want to recommend to you
is that you get to know Jesus.
00:18:22.50\00:18:25.47
And it's not a hard thing to do.
00:18:25.50\00:18:27.50
It's our privilege.
00:18:27.54\00:18:29.04
It's your privilege
00:18:29.07\00:18:30.21
to have a vibrant
two-way relationship with God.
00:18:30.24\00:18:33.84
That's what He wants.
00:18:33.88\00:18:35.58
So where do you start?
00:18:35.61\00:18:36.91
Get to know God.
00:18:36.95\00:18:38.15
The Bible was given to us so
that we could read that story,
00:18:38.18\00:18:41.82
or that collection of stories,
00:18:41.85\00:18:43.82
and get to know
the God of heaven.
00:18:43.85\00:18:45.69
To know Him is to love Him.
00:18:45.72\00:18:48.02
Read the Word of God and
find out what God is truly like,
00:18:48.06\00:18:51.96
what Jesus is really like.
00:18:51.99\00:18:53.73
And take time to
pray. Communicate with God.
00:18:53.76\00:18:56.13
Have that two-way relationship
with Him where you talk to Him,
00:18:56.16\00:19:00.34
listen for the
sound of His voice,
00:19:00.37\00:19:02.14
and He'll talk back to you.
00:19:02.17\00:19:04.47
It's interesting, isn't it,
00:19:04.51\00:19:06.14
that there's so
much ahead of us,
00:19:06.17\00:19:08.14
and yet so many
people are ignoring it.
00:19:08.18\00:19:11.15
As Shakespeare
wrote in "Hamlet,"
00:19:11.18\00:19:13.48
"All that lives must die,
00:19:13.52\00:19:15.55
passing through
nature to eternity."
00:19:15.58\00:19:19.49
Everyone agrees with the
first part of that statement:
00:19:19.52\00:19:22.36
"All that lives must die."
00:19:22.39\00:19:24.56
But it's the
nature of the second part
00:19:24.59\00:19:26.59
where there's some disagreement:
00:19:26.63\00:19:28.33
"Passing through
nature to eternity."
00:19:28.36\00:19:31.47
For centuries,
even for millennia,
00:19:31.50\00:19:33.54
there wasn't much
debate about that.
00:19:33.57\00:19:35.94
The Egyptians prepared for it.
00:19:35.97\00:19:37.74
The magnificent pyramids
were tombs for kings and queens.
00:19:37.77\00:19:41.51
Ancient Babylon: an
afterlife was anticipated.
00:19:41.54\00:19:45.18
The ancient Greek view of
the afterlife ebbed and flowed
00:19:45.21\00:19:48.62
a little bit as times changed.
00:19:48.65\00:19:50.79
The ferryman would
transport the souls of the dead
00:19:50.82\00:19:53.72
across the
River Styx into Hades.
00:19:53.76\00:19:57.03
It was the Greeks that taught
that at death the soul separated
00:19:57.06\00:20:01.10
from the dead body and
went on living in another plane.
00:20:01.13\00:20:05.33
So if there's life
after life, and there is,
00:20:05.37\00:20:09.20
then you'd want
to be part of that.
00:20:09.24\00:20:11.71
Except life
today is intoxicating,
00:20:11.74\00:20:15.44
and we can be distracted easily,
00:20:15.48\00:20:18.31
and it's not difficult
to be confused, led astray,
00:20:18.35\00:20:22.82
influenced by competing voices.
00:20:22.85\00:20:25.89
If you haven't learned
for yourself that God is good,
00:20:25.92\00:20:29.52
you might be inclined to listen
to the voices that say He isn't.
00:20:29.56\00:20:34.00
If you haven't read the
Bible and learned for yourself
00:20:34.03\00:20:36.43
what Jesus is like, you
might be open to the idea
00:20:36.46\00:20:39.97
that He's
irrelevant or out of touch.
00:20:40.00\00:20:42.80
And if you don't take the
time to stop and read the Bible
00:20:42.84\00:20:45.94
for yourself, then other things
are going to fill that space
00:20:45.97\00:20:49.71
in your heart, in your mind.
00:20:49.74\00:20:52.25
You'll end up chasing all
the wrong things in this world.
00:20:52.28\00:20:56.82
It isn't that God offers you a
choice between Him and nothing.
00:20:56.85\00:21:01.82
It's God's plan
to fill your life
00:21:01.86\00:21:03.79
with all of the best blessings.
00:21:03.83\00:21:06.29
But there's a spiritual war
raging right at this moment,
00:21:06.33\00:21:10.70
as we speak, right now.
00:21:10.73\00:21:12.97
A war we are caught
right in the middle of.
00:21:13.00\00:21:16.47
The stakes are high: eternity.
00:21:16.50\00:21:20.48
The reason Jesus came to this
world was to demonstrate to us
00:21:20.51\00:21:23.81
that there's something bigger
than what we see in the world
00:21:23.85\00:21:26.38
around us, something enduring,
something more important.
00:21:26.41\00:21:32.15
The trouble is we
often see what's around us
00:21:32.19\00:21:34.66
as more important
or even more meaningful
00:21:34.69\00:21:37.49
than that which is around
us but we cannot actually see.
00:21:37.53\00:21:40.96
Pays to remember
Shakespeare again--
00:21:40.96\00:21:43.80
this time from "The
Merchant of Venice":
00:21:43.83\00:21:46.67
"All that glisters is not gold."
00:21:46.70\00:21:50.91
The truth is we live in a
world that increasingly reflects
00:21:50.94\00:21:54.98
the character of Satan.
00:21:55.01\00:21:57.21
He's made a mess of this world,
00:21:57.25\00:21:59.75
a world that is now
characterized by pain,
00:21:59.78\00:22:02.38
suffering, and death.
00:22:02.42\00:22:05.05
But even though this
world is in terrible shape,
00:22:05.09\00:22:07.82
most of the people in
it are caught up in chasing
00:22:07.86\00:22:11.23
the selfishness-based
goal Satan has set up,
00:22:11.26\00:22:14.96
the gods of money,
00:22:15.00\00:22:16.16
pleasure, status,
00:22:16.20\00:22:17.90
fame, and power.
00:22:17.93\00:22:20.60
They're on a road to nowhere.
00:22:20.64\00:22:24.01
In this distracted
world, steeped in selfishness,
00:22:24.04\00:22:27.78
it's the privilege of everyone
who has taken the name of Jesus
00:22:27.81\00:22:31.85
to demonstrate through
their lives, words, and actions
00:22:31.88\00:22:35.02
that there's another way,
00:22:35.05\00:22:37.09
a way that's
based on lovingkindness.
00:22:37.12\00:22:40.82
It's the
Christian's role to demonstrate
00:22:40.86\00:22:42.79
the character of Jesus to
others in words and actions.
00:22:42.82\00:22:46.76
Like the trees, we're to witness
to the character of Christ
00:22:46.80\00:22:50.40
and pass on blessings to
others in our interactions.
00:22:50.43\00:22:54.30
And here's the thing;
00:22:54.34\00:22:55.64
if we don't do this, how
are people going to know?
00:22:55.67\00:22:58.91
How will people know that
God's kingdom of lovingkindness
00:22:58.94\00:23:01.81
opposes Satan's
kingdom of selfishness?
00:23:01.84\00:23:06.01
It's a big responsibility--
and a great opportunity.
00:23:06.05\00:23:10.15
There are some
interesting implications arising
00:23:10.19\00:23:12.82
out of this great
privilege that God has given us.
00:23:12.85\00:23:16.39
Think about this:
00:23:16.42\00:23:17.63
It's impossible, really, to
be an island of lovingkindness
00:23:17.66\00:23:22.00
in a world that's
drowning in selfishness.
00:23:22.03\00:23:25.37
You can't
constantly give, give, give
00:23:25.40\00:23:28.40
in a world that
takes and takes and takes.
00:23:28.44\00:23:30.71
At least not of yourself.
00:23:30.74\00:23:34.08
So in order to, in
order to carry out that role
00:23:34.11\00:23:37.75
that God has
placed upon our hearts,
00:23:37.78\00:23:39.11
what we need is
something special.
00:23:39.15\00:23:40.65
We need the person
of Jesus dwelling in us.
00:23:40.68\00:23:44.85
What God's plan is, is
to show Himself through you,
00:23:44.89\00:23:49.46
for Jesus to
live His life in you,
00:23:49.49\00:23:52.56
and then shine out of you
00:23:52.59\00:23:54.66
and let others see
Jesus in your life.
00:23:54.73\00:23:57.97
It can be done.
00:23:58.00\00:23:59.43
It's a fantastic privilege.
00:23:59.47\00:24:01.30
That's the kind of relationship
that God wants to have with you.
00:24:01.34\00:24:05.24
¤[soft piano music]¤
00:24:05.27\00:24:07.81
[waves rushing,
birds twittering]
00:24:07.84\00:24:13.62
And there's another implication.
00:24:13.65\00:24:15.62
We can't show the world
what a different system is like
00:24:15.65\00:24:18.79
unless we are...different.
00:24:18.82\00:24:22.02
Jesus doesn't call on
us to compete in the world
00:24:22.06\00:24:24.39
on the world's terms,
fully immersed in selfishness,
00:24:24.43\00:24:27.60
then go to
church to gloss it over.
00:24:27.66\00:24:30.60
Jesus calls on us
to be His disciples,
00:24:30.63\00:24:32.97
His witnesses.
00:24:33.00\00:24:34.30
He calls on us to
reject selfishness,
00:24:34.34\00:24:37.44
to live out lovingkindness and
proclaim Jesus and His character
00:24:37.47\00:24:41.48
through our words and actions.
00:24:41.51\00:24:44.15
This call that
Jesus is giving us
00:24:44.18\00:24:45.65
makes many people uncomfortable
because in order to do this,
00:24:45.68\00:24:49.05
you've got to
embrace the gospel of Jesus,
00:24:49.08\00:24:51.82
where
selfishness is put to death
00:24:51.85\00:24:54.32
and Jesus lives His life in you.
00:24:54.36\00:24:56.66
Less of us, less of our will;
00:24:56.69\00:24:59.76
more of Jesus,
more of God's will.
00:24:59.79\00:25:02.40
And yet we can't be
part of two systems.
00:25:02.43\00:25:05.30
Either we're
followers of Christ,
00:25:05.33\00:25:07.30
dedicated to lovingkindness
and passing blessings
00:25:07.34\00:25:10.31
to those around us,
00:25:10.34\00:25:11.81
or we're followers of the world,
00:25:11.84\00:25:13.54
and we are
dedicated to selfishness.
00:25:13.58\00:25:17.78
Where are you with that?
00:25:17.81\00:25:19.25
You don't want to be
a mixture of the two.
00:25:19.28\00:25:20.95
In the end, everyone's
going to be one or the other.
00:25:20.98\00:25:25.42
Beginning the transformation to
being fully a follower of Jesus
00:25:25.45\00:25:30.03
isn't hard.
00:25:30.06\00:25:31.29
Jesus is waiting to walk with us
and support us through each step
00:25:31.33\00:25:35.63
so that we have an
amazing sequel with Him
00:25:35.66\00:25:38.00
after our lives on this earth.
00:25:38.03\00:25:40.30
The process begins when
you give your life to Jesus,
00:25:40.34\00:25:43.30
when you tell Him
you want to follow Him,
00:25:43.34\00:25:45.47
when you invite
Him in to guide you
00:25:45.51\00:25:48.21
and live His life in
you and dwell in your heart.
00:25:48.24\00:25:51.68
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:25:52.68\00:25:54.68
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:25:54.72\00:25:58.15
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:25:58.19\00:26:01.39
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:01.42\00:26:05.63
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:05.66\00:26:07.13
to the address on your screen,
00:26:07.20\00:26:08.53
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:08.56\00:26:12.40
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:12.43\00:26:15.20
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:15.24\00:26:19.57
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:19.61\00:26:22.61
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
00:26:23.68\00:26:25.55
Our Father in
heaven, we thank You so much
00:26:25.58\00:26:27.82
that Jesus makes
the eternal difference,
00:26:27.85\00:26:30.35
that there is a great Savior
willing to come into the lives
00:26:30.39\00:26:32.92
of even the most broken people,
00:26:32.95\00:26:34.99
the most
seemingly helpless people,
00:26:35.02\00:26:37.73
sometimes the most
discouraged people.
00:26:37.76\00:26:39.83
He's ready to come into
every life and remake that life
00:26:39.86\00:26:44.67
and give every
believer the assurance
00:26:44.70\00:26:47.40
that she or he
is a child of God.
00:26:47.44\00:26:51.54
We thank You that in spite
of the chaos of this world,
00:26:51.57\00:26:54.51
we can look beyond this world
00:26:54.54\00:26:56.98
to an eternity
filled with Your presence,
00:26:57.01\00:27:00.22
an eternity without sin,
00:27:00.25\00:27:02.52
an eternity of life everlasting.
00:27:02.55\00:27:05.15
We claim it today.
Friend, do you claim it?
00:27:05.19\00:27:08.06
Do you claim that through Jesus?
00:27:08.09\00:27:09.46
You can have it now by faith.
00:27:09.49\00:27:11.43
Just tell Jesus Himself,
00:27:11.46\00:27:13.50
"I accept
everlasting life from You.
00:27:13.53\00:27:16.46
I believe You give me
the gift of everlasting life.
00:27:16.50\00:27:19.73
I believe You forgive my
sins and give me a new heart."
00:27:19.77\00:27:23.17
We thank You,
Lord, for doing that.
00:27:23.20\00:27:25.21
We claim it gratefully.
00:27:25.24\00:27:27.64
In Jesus' name.
00:27:27.68\00:27:29.78
Amen.
00:27:29.81\00:27:31.15
Thank you so
much for joining me.
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I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
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Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:36.48\00:27:40.69
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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¤[theme music]¤
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