[water splashing] ¤[soft music]¤
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>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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It seems to me that many people
have a strange relationship
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with hell, an odd
sort of relationship.
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I mean, think of the
way people talk about hell,
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the way people refer to it.
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[bird chirping, water splashing]
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"Hell hath no fury
like a woman scorned."
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You can debate
the appropriateness
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of a statement like that,
but think of what it means.
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It means that as
bad as hell might be,
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it's not as bad
as an angry woman.
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Now, I know we can't afford
to take these phrases literally,
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but it really sounds like people
aren't taking hell seriously.
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"The man was
hellbent on doing something."
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I don't even know what that
means, to be honest with you,
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although we know it
means he was determined.
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"It isn't going to happen,
come hell or high water."
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Which is five more words
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that don't logically
mean anything at all,
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but we interpret that
to mean that something
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just isn't going to
happen no matter what.
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"It was a living hell."
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Oh, look, it really
wasn't, but we get the point.
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It was bad. It was terrible.
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And typically that's said
in connection with something
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really very bad.
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A country's civil
war was "a living hell."
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Living with the injury
as a result of that accident
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was "a living hell."
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Being in a terrible
prison... we get the idea.
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"It will happen
when hell freezes over."
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"It was looking tense, and
then all hell broke loose."
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"The road to hell is
paved with good intentions."
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That's actually a
fairly useful one.
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Good intentions aren't enough.
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You've got to follow through
on your promises and your plans.
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The saying indicates
that there will be people
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who don't make it into
heaven who had every intention
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of getting things sorted
out between them and God,
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but...never happened.
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When it's said
that the road to hell
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is paved with good intentions,
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that's really a bit of
a philosophical statement
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intended to help
people to see the need
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to take serious
things seriously.
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But there's one
saying about hell
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that we're actually
going to see through today.
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We'll actually do it.
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Have you ever heard it said that
somebody went to hell and back?
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Well, today on It Is Written
we're actually going to go
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to Hell and back.
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I don't mean that figuratively,
and I'm not trying to be funny.
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We really are
going to go to Hell,
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and we'll really come back.
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Now, if I were to tell you
that today we are going to go
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to Hell, you shouldn't be
all that surprised about that.
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And here's what I mean.
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There are some
people who have claimed
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that they have visited hell.
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They've then
come back from hell,
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written books about
it and spoken about it.
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And the remarkable thing is
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they've even
been taken seriously.
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[traffic noise]
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My wife and I were
driving across northern Idaho
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a good number of years ago,
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and because we
needed to make a phone call,
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we stopped at a pay phone.
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Now, if you're a little younger,
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and you're not sure
what a pay phone is,
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ask someone 30
years of age or older,
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and they'll be
able to fill you in.
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There used to be 2 million
of them in the United States,
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but that number has
dropped by about 90 percent.
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In some states
there's only 2 percent or so
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of the pay
phones there used to be.
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Then came cell phones, and
pay phones started disappearing.
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And now you don't
see them lining the walls
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of train stations and airports.
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That was back in the old days.
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So we stopped at a
pay phone in Idaho,
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and as I approached the phone,
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I noticed that little
phone booth was festooned
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with small pink pieces of paper.
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They were everywhere,
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tucked into every crack
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that they could
possibly be tucked into.
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Now, even though
curiosity killed the cat,
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I bravely took
one of the pink papers
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and with some interest
looked to see what it said.
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What I read fascinated me.
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Whoever had written this
had--well, they claimed--
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visited hell.
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That's right.
They had been there.
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These were little homemade
tracts that had been stuck
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all over this
little pay phone booth.
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In fact, I still
have some of them.
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I have no idea who wrote
them or who wrote the excerpts.
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Somebody suggested to
me these might be excerpts
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from a book written by somebody,
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written by somebody who
claims to have been to hell.
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Maybe you recognize this.
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I mean the writer no harm,
but it's worth looking at this.
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Let me read to you.
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Jesus is acting as a tour guide
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and is chaperoning
this individual around hell.
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¤[eerie music]¤
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Hell is shaped like a body and
is "in the center of the earth."
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This person says that just
as there is a body of Christ,
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hell is shaped liked a body.
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And then the
description goes on,
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of brimstone pits and people
whose flesh is being melted away
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by the heat and the flames.
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There are rats
and there are snakes,
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and there are
angels, fallen angels,
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the size of grizzly bears
with wings that are broken down
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at the back, pushing
people back into the pits
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who would be trying to escape.
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What strikes me
as strange about this
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is that hell doesn't seem
to destroy snakes and rats.
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A lot of people would
hope that those things
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would be among the
first things to be destroyed.
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And something truly bizarre:
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Tracts like this make the devil
out to be in charge of hell.
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Sinners suffer while the
devil is in cahoots with God;
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he's helping God by
causing the lost to suffer.
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Have we forgotten that
Jesus said in Matthew 25:41,
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that hell is "prepared
for the devil and his angels"?
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And not in the sense
that it's prepared for them
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to do their business.
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Prepared for them.
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So is that what hell is like?
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No.
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So what's hell really like?
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Well, I told you a moment ago
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that we would go to Hell and
back, and we're almost there.
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We'll go there in just a moment.
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¤[music]¤
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>>Announcer 1: One of the most
serious subjects in the Bible
00:06:35.86\00:06:38.26
is hell, yet it's one
of the least understood.
00:06:38.29\00:06:42.13
What does the Bible
really say about hell?
00:06:42.16\00:06:45.50
Is there a hell?
00:06:45.53\00:06:46.60
How long will it last?
00:06:46.63\00:06:48.44
Today's free offer
is "Understanding Hell."
00:06:48.47\00:06:51.47
You don't have to
wonder about hell anymore.
00:06:51.51\00:06:53.68
Call 800-253-3000
00:06:53.71\00:06:57.05
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:06:57.08\00:07:01.42
Get the "Understanding
Hell" book for free today.
00:07:01.45\00:07:04.59
>>Announcer 2: When
people think of India,
00:07:06.86\00:07:08.99
they often think of the
Taj Mahal or Indian food.
00:07:09.02\00:07:12.33
But what you
probably won't think about
00:07:12.36\00:07:13.96
is the staggering number of
blind people that live in India.
00:07:14.00\00:07:17.80
Sadly, more than 15
million blind call India home,
00:07:17.83\00:07:21.30
and it doesn't
have to be that way
00:07:21.34\00:07:23.77
because many of
India's blind could see again
00:07:23.81\00:07:26.11
if only they could
afford cataract surgery.
00:07:26.14\00:07:29.58
Today we are
asking you to donate
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to this life-changing work.
00:07:31.88\00:07:33.25
It takes just $75
to give one person
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the precious gift of sight.
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To donate, please
visit our special website:
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itiswritten.com/eyesforindia.
00:07:40.86\00:07:43.89
Or call us.
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Our number is 1-844-974-8836.
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That's 1-844-974-8836.
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For only $75 you can
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Call today:
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1-844-974-8836.
00:07:59.11\00:08:04.11
¤[soft music]¤ [waves lapping]
00:08:07.18\00:08:10.15
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:08:10.19\00:08:11.99
on It Is Written.
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We are going to Hell and back,
00:08:13.22\00:08:15.69
although this place doesn't
look a lot like what you'd think
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hell would be like.
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It looks more like what
you'd imagine paradise to be.
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The island of Grand
Cayman in the Caribbean
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really is beautiful.
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It's about 200
miles south of Cuba
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and about the same distance
west-northwest of Jamaica.
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Mexico is about 400
miles in that direction.
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Honduras is a little closer,
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about 320 miles
to the southwest.
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A little over 50,000
people live on Grand Cayman.
00:08:47.32\00:08:50.73
About 9,000 others live
on other Cayman islands.
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And unless you don't like
sand and the ocean and sunshine
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and breathtaking scenery,
this place is beautiful.
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There's a reason
cruise ships stop here.
00:09:00.84\00:09:03.24
Scuba diving and
snorkeling are big,
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some of the best in the world.
00:09:05.04\00:09:07.18
Beautiful beaches.
00:09:07.21\00:09:08.71
Tourists flock here.
00:09:08.74\00:09:10.61
The country is home to some
of the world's largest banks,
00:09:10.65\00:09:13.21
most of the
world's largest banks.
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And Caymanians and Cayman
Island companies are not taxed.
00:09:15.35\00:09:18.59
So that old saying
about death and taxes?
00:09:18.62\00:09:21.79
Only half of that
really applies here.
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And did I say
it's beautiful here?
00:09:24.43\00:09:26.56
¤[upbeat instrumental music]¤
00:09:26.59\00:09:28.43
The largest town on
Grand Cayman is George Town,
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the island's capital.
00:09:31.93\00:09:34.57
Bodden Town is in
the middle of the island,
00:09:34.60\00:09:37.21
and there's East End
and North Side and West Bay.
00:09:37.24\00:09:40.71
And oddly
enough, there's a place
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up in the northwest of
the island called...Hell.
00:09:43.91\00:09:48.95
Now, it isn't a
town, strictly speaking,
00:09:48.98\00:09:51.19
but there's a service
station and a post office,
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and you can send a
postcard home from Hell.
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So why in the world is
there a place called Hell
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on an island like this?
00:10:03.23\00:10:05.17
Well, I said we'd go to
Hell today, and I was serious.
00:10:06.17\00:10:09.57
We're going to Hell to find out.
00:10:09.60\00:10:11.61
¤[percussion music]¤
00:10:12.71\00:10:16.48
This isn't the
only spot on earth
00:10:16.51\00:10:18.55
that there's a
place called Hell.
00:10:18.58\00:10:21.28
There's one in Michigan,
northwest of Ann Arbor.
00:10:21.32\00:10:24.69
And in the cold winters
there, you know what happens.
00:10:24.72\00:10:28.86
This is Hell, Cayman Islands.
00:10:29.86\00:10:33.09
And why did it get its name?
00:10:35.06\00:10:37.27
Well, Hell in the Cayman Islands
is an area about half the size
00:10:37.30\00:10:41.20
of a football field,
00:10:41.24\00:10:42.74
and it's covered in short
black limestone formations.
00:10:42.77\00:10:46.47
So you can imagine someone
once said something flippant
00:10:46.51\00:10:49.08
about the geography,
someone else was amused,
00:10:49.11\00:10:52.18
and once it drew
tourists, the name stuck.
00:10:52.21\00:10:55.82
How many places in the world are
there where you can go to Hell?
00:10:55.85\00:11:00.06
But you see what's happened?
00:11:00.09\00:11:01.49
If hell was 10 percent as
serious as the Bible says it is,
00:11:01.52\00:11:04.39
5 percent, 1 percent, no
one would be joking about it.
00:11:04.43\00:11:09.30
It seems you wouldn't be
naming a tourist attraction Hell
00:11:09.33\00:11:12.93
if you really thought that hell
was a place of final destruction
00:11:12.97\00:11:15.67
for lost people,
people who have no hope
00:11:15.70\00:11:18.21
of ever experiencing
salvation and eternal life.
00:11:18.24\00:11:22.41
Serious business when
you think about it, isn't it?
00:11:22.44\00:11:24.95
Hell represents
the end of the line,
00:11:24.98\00:11:27.78
the no-turning-back point,
00:11:27.82\00:11:29.72
the place of utter
hopelessness for people,
00:11:29.75\00:11:32.22
where folks are
eternally cut off from God.
00:11:32.25\00:11:35.52
Is that
something you joke about?
00:11:35.56\00:11:37.53
So think about this
from God's point of view.
00:11:38.19\00:11:40.93
"In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth."
00:11:40.96\00:11:43.80
Well, what for?
00:11:43.83\00:11:45.43
We were created for God's
glory, according to Isaiah 43:7.
00:11:45.47\00:11:49.94
God created you so you
could live with Him forever,
00:11:49.97\00:11:53.27
so close that the relationship
between God and His children
00:11:53.31\00:11:56.88
is described in the
Bible as a marriage.
00:11:56.91\00:11:59.85
The book of Song of
Solomon is a love story,
00:11:59.88\00:12:02.72
the story of Solomon
and a woman he loved.
00:12:02.75\00:12:05.22
But it's also descriptive of
the love of God for His church.
00:12:05.25\00:12:09.99
God's love for
humanity is serious.
00:12:10.03\00:12:12.89
And if you've ever doubted that,
you just look at John 3:16,
00:12:12.93\00:12:15.80
which says that
"God so loved the world,
00:12:15.83\00:12:18.80
that He gave His
only begotten Son,
00:12:18.83\00:12:20.60
that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish,
00:12:20.64\00:12:23.81
but have everlasting life."
00:12:23.84\00:12:25.17
Who dies on a cross?
00:12:25.21\00:12:27.88
Who's crucified
for someone else,
00:12:27.91\00:12:30.28
especially for people who've
almost entirely rejected Him?
00:12:30.31\00:12:33.65
Who does that?
00:12:33.68\00:12:35.12
You've really
only got two choices:
00:12:35.15\00:12:36.72
either a mad man
00:12:36.75\00:12:38.65
or Someone compelled by
love to demonstrate that love
00:12:38.69\00:12:42.66
in a desperate
effort to save the lost.
00:12:42.69\00:12:45.89
So that's how God feels.
00:12:45.93\00:12:47.86
And then, hell is
going to take place,
00:12:47.93\00:12:51.07
where God's own
children will perish.
00:12:51.10\00:12:53.67
And when you consider
what the Bible has to say
00:12:55.34\00:12:57.61
about the fate of the lost,
well, it's pretty descriptive.
00:12:57.64\00:13:01.84
Revelation 14:9-11 says,
00:13:02.84\00:13:05.48
"And the third angel followed
them, saying with a loud voice,
00:13:05.51\00:13:09.82
'If any man worship
the beast and his image,
00:13:09.85\00:13:13.56
and receive his mark in
his forehead or in his hand,
00:13:13.59\00:13:16.79
the same shall drink of
the wine of the wrath of God,
00:13:16.83\00:13:20.26
which is poured
out without mixture
00:13:20.30\00:13:21.86
into the cup of His indignation;
00:13:21.90\00:13:24.27
and he shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone
00:13:24.30\00:13:26.90
in the presence
of the holy angels,
00:13:26.94\00:13:28.57
and in the presence of the Lamb:
00:13:28.60\00:13:31.21
and the smoke of their torment
ascendeth up for ever and ever:
00:13:31.24\00:13:34.74
and they have no
rest day nor night,
00:13:34.78\00:13:37.21
who worship the
beast and his image,
00:13:37.25\00:13:40.08
and whosoever receiveth
the mark of his name.'"
00:13:40.12\00:13:43.62
Revelation 20:9 and 10,
00:13:43.65\00:13:46.69
"And they went up on
the breadth of the earth,
00:13:46.72\00:13:48.96
and compassed the
camp of the saints about,
00:13:48.99\00:13:50.79
and the beloved city:
00:13:50.83\00:13:52.83
and fire came down from God out
of heaven, and devoured them.
00:13:52.86\00:13:58.13
And the devil that deceived them
00:13:58.17\00:13:59.40
was cast into the
lake of fire and brimstone,
00:13:59.43\00:14:02.17
where the beast and
the false prophet are,
00:14:02.20\00:14:04.64
and shall be tormented day
and night for ever and ever."
00:14:04.67\00:14:09.78
So, does the story of
the rich man and Lazarus
00:14:09.81\00:14:13.08
fit in with this?
00:14:13.11\00:14:14.52
Well, not if you're
being theologically consistent.
00:14:14.55\00:14:18.65
If you're being
theologically responsible,
00:14:18.69\00:14:20.82
you'll realize the story
of the rich man and Lazarus
00:14:20.86\00:14:24.13
is a parable.
00:14:24.16\00:14:25.66
God isn't teaching us
that the saved and the lost
00:14:25.69\00:14:28.76
can speak to each other
from their various abodes.
00:14:28.80\00:14:32.37
No suffering soul is
going to ask for a drop of water
00:14:32.40\00:14:35.30
to relieve its stress.
00:14:35.34\00:14:37.41
The point of the
rich man and Lazarus story
00:14:37.44\00:14:39.31
isn't a commentary on the
fate of the lost or the saved,
00:14:39.34\00:14:43.58
but to teach us various things.
00:14:43.61\00:14:44.85
Number one, being rich doesn't
necessarily mean you're blessed,
00:14:44.88\00:14:49.08
and being a beggar, for example,
00:14:49.12\00:14:50.85
certainly doesn't mean
that you've been cursed by God.
00:14:50.89\00:14:53.92
But that's what
the Pharisees believed.
00:14:53.96\00:14:55.82
This teaching was for them.
00:14:55.86\00:14:57.83
Second thing, the story
teaches that you cannot be saved
00:14:57.86\00:15:01.40
by your family
tree, by heredity.
00:15:01.43\00:15:04.27
You certainly cannot be saved
00:15:04.30\00:15:05.80
simply because you
belong to a certain church.
00:15:05.83\00:15:09.10
Who does the
rich man call out to
00:15:09.14\00:15:10.81
in the story of the
rich man and Lazarus?
00:15:10.84\00:15:12.77
He calls out to Father Abraham.
00:15:12.81\00:15:16.41
The religious leaders
in Jesus' day proudly said,
00:15:16.44\00:15:19.21
"Our father is Abraham,"
00:15:19.25\00:15:20.45
and yet these children
of Abraham had the Messiah
00:15:20.48\00:15:23.82
in their midst and rejected Him.
00:15:23.85\00:15:27.32
The prophecies that
they were studying told them
00:15:27.36\00:15:29.82
when the Messiah would
come, which is why Jesus,
00:15:29.86\00:15:33.46
when He was baptized,
said, "The time is fulfilled,
00:15:33.50\00:15:37.53
and the kingdom
of God is at hand."
00:15:37.57\00:15:39.10
That's Mark chapter 1, verse 15.
00:15:39.13\00:15:41.17
He was telling them that the
prophecies in the book of Daniel
00:15:41.20\00:15:44.44
that pointed out the timing
of the coming of the Messiah
00:15:44.47\00:15:48.08
had been fulfilled.
00:15:48.11\00:15:49.54
The Messiah was in their midst,
00:15:49.58\00:15:51.91
and yet they're all about "We
are the children of Abraham."
00:15:51.95\00:15:55.35
Their hope was
in the wrong place,
00:15:55.38\00:15:58.09
and this story was
given to show them that.
00:15:58.12\00:16:00.69
And further, point number
three, the rich man said this:
00:16:00.72\00:16:04.16
"I have five brothers.
00:16:04.19\00:16:05.09
Send Lazarus to
them so that they'll know
00:16:05.13\00:16:07.76
that they should make sure
they don't come to this place."
00:16:07.83\00:16:10.57
And in the story he is told,
00:16:10.60\00:16:12.77
"They have Moses
and the prophets."
00:16:12.80\00:16:14.97
If they won't believe
that, they won't be convinced,
00:16:15.00\00:16:18.51
even if someone went
to them from the dead,
00:16:18.54\00:16:20.61
which is interesting because
an actual Lazarus did come back
00:16:20.64\00:16:24.68
from the dead, and
still they rejected Christ.
00:16:24.71\00:16:28.15
So the story is told
to convince them--and us--
00:16:28.18\00:16:32.22
that we should take
Moses and the prophets,
00:16:32.25\00:16:35.09
the Word of God, seriously.
00:16:35.12\00:16:38.13
So should we be scared of hell?
00:16:38.86\00:16:41.53
And do many people even believe
that there is a hell anymore?
00:16:41.56\00:16:45.23
I'll have that next.
00:16:45.27\00:16:46.50
¤[music]¤
00:16:46.53\00:16:53.11
¤[upbeat music]¤
00:16:56.18\00:16:58.38
>>Announcer 3: Planning
for your financial future
00:16:58.41\00:17:00.08
is a vital aspect of
Christian stewardship.
00:17:00.12\00:17:03.99
For this reason, It Is
Written is pleased to offer
00:17:04.02\00:17:06.76
free planned giving
and estate services.
00:17:06.79\00:17:09.62
For information on
how we can help you,
00:17:09.66\00:17:11.79
please call 800-992-2219.
00:17:11.83\00:17:16.73
Call today
00:17:16.77\00:17:17.60
or visit our
website, hislegacy.com.
00:17:17.63\00:17:20.74
Call 800-992-2219.
00:17:20.77\00:17:24.77
>>John Bradshaw: Join
me on It Is Written TV
00:17:26.74\00:17:28.74
for "Great
Chapters of the Bible:
00:17:28.78\00:17:31.18
1 Corinthians [Chapter] 15."
00:17:31.21\00:17:33.18
It's the resurrection chapter,
00:17:33.21\00:17:35.58
which means the
Bible in 1 Corinthians 15
00:17:35.62\00:17:38.12
offers us hope.
00:17:38.15\00:17:40.39
Everybody wants hope.
00:17:40.42\00:17:42.49
And everybody, if Jesus does
not return, is bound to die.
00:17:42.52\00:17:46.56
But what then?
00:17:46.59\00:17:47.93
First Corinthians chapter 15
tells us that death is an enemy,
00:17:47.96\00:17:52.20
the last enemy
that will be destroyed.
00:17:52.23\00:17:55.00
But the Word of God
assures us that there is hope
00:17:55.04\00:17:58.31
beyond the grave, and there is
life after life in this world.
00:17:58.34\00:18:03.21
First Corinthians 15,
00:18:03.24\00:18:04.78
it's one of the great
chapters of the Bible.
00:18:04.81\00:18:07.25
You will be encouraged,
00:18:07.28\00:18:08.35
and you will be blessed
as you collide with the hope
00:18:08.38\00:18:12.65
that we have in Jesus Christ
00:18:12.69\00:18:14.82
and the
resurrection which is to come.
00:18:14.86\00:18:17.36
"Great Chapters of the Bible,
1 Corinthians [Chapter] 15."
00:18:17.39\00:18:21.86
Don't miss it.
00:18:21.90\00:18:23.06
Watch now on It Is Written TV.
00:18:23.10\00:18:25.83
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:18:27.17\00:18:28.80
on It Is Written.
00:18:28.84\00:18:30.07
We've come to Hell,
00:18:30.11\00:18:31.81
Hell on Grand Cayman
in the Cayman Islands.
00:18:31.84\00:18:35.14
Years ago someone took
a look at the geography
00:18:35.18\00:18:37.68
and made a remark,
and the name Hell stuck,
00:18:37.71\00:18:40.18
and so today tourists can come
here from all over the world
00:18:40.22\00:18:43.85
and say that they
have been to Hell.
00:18:43.89\00:18:46.62
You can even send a postcard
or a letter home from Hell,
00:18:46.65\00:18:50.39
with the Hell
postmark right on it.
00:18:50.43\00:18:53.60
Now, Jesus
certainly believed in hell.
00:18:53.63\00:18:56.53
Matthew 10:28, Jesus says,
00:18:56.56\00:18:58.97
"Fear not them [that
are able to] kill the body,
00:18:59.00\00:19:01.50
but [cannot] kill the soul:
00:19:01.54\00:19:03.51
but rather fear Him
[who] is able to destroy
00:19:03.54\00:19:05.87
both soul and body in hell."
00:19:05.91\00:19:08.64
The Bible speaks
plainly about the subject,
00:19:08.68\00:19:11.65
but it's fair to say that
often people wildly misconstrue
00:19:11.68\00:19:16.75
what the Bible says about hell.
00:19:16.79\00:19:19.19
Take the story of
the rich man and Lazarus.
00:19:20.19\00:19:24.66
That's helped a lot of
preachers over the years
00:19:24.69\00:19:27.03
because it sounds as though
you can point to the rich man
00:19:27.10\00:19:29.76
and make the case that lost
people are condemned to suffer
00:19:29.80\00:19:33.67
in a place of fiery
torment for all eternity.
00:19:33.70\00:19:38.47
But you don't need to
misinterpret the parable
00:19:38.51\00:19:40.91
of the rich man and Lazarus
to make the point very clearly
00:19:40.94\00:19:44.71
that hell is no laughing matter.
00:19:44.75\00:19:46.82
Every time someone
refers to hell in a casual sense
00:19:46.85\00:19:49.48
they're trivializing something
that's phenomenally important.
00:19:49.52\00:19:53.46
It's like those
cartoons depicting the devil
00:19:53.49\00:19:55.62
wearing a red suit and
brandishing a pitchfork.
00:19:55.66\00:19:59.03
It diminishes the
solemnity of the subject,
00:19:59.06\00:20:01.90
makes something that
should be taken seriously
00:20:01.93\00:20:04.70
nothing more than
a laughing matter.
00:20:04.73\00:20:06.94
[waves fizzing and splashing]
00:20:06.97\00:20:13.48
So hell is serious.
00:20:13.51\00:20:16.41
Now, it seems that not that many
people believe in hell anymore.
00:20:16.44\00:20:22.35
A survey by Pew Research
00:20:22.38\00:20:24.02
indicates that a little
more than half of all Americans
00:20:24.05\00:20:27.52
believe in the
existence of hell.
00:20:27.56\00:20:30.79
One would think that back in
the days when Jonathan Edwards
00:20:30.83\00:20:34.13
was preaching about "Sinners
in the Hands of an Angry God,"
00:20:34.20\00:20:38.17
those numbers might have
been a little bit higher.
00:20:38.20\00:20:40.60
"The wrath of God
burns against them,
00:20:41.27\00:20:44.31
their damnation
does not slumber;
00:20:44.34\00:20:47.14
the pit is prepared,
the fire is made ready,
00:20:47.18\00:20:51.11
the furnace is now
hot, ready to receive them;
00:20:51.15\00:20:55.95
the flames do now rage and glow.
00:20:55.98\00:20:59.32
The glittering sword is
whet, and held over them,
00:20:59.35\00:21:03.43
and the pit hath
opened its mouth under them."
00:21:03.46\00:21:06.70
It might even be
that sermons like that
00:21:07.66\00:21:10.17
have got something to do
with those numbers dropping.
00:21:10.20\00:21:13.54
You see, when you
present God as cruel,
00:21:13.57\00:21:16.10
when you portray God as,
as rubbing His hands together
00:21:16.14\00:21:19.24
with glee at the prospect
of another suffering soul,
00:21:19.27\00:21:23.18
thinking people reject that.
00:21:23.21\00:21:25.58
You cannot on the one
hand say that God is love
00:21:25.61\00:21:29.08
and then depict God as
though He's loving the process
00:21:29.12\00:21:32.99
of tormenting suffering sinners.
00:21:33.02\00:21:36.22
In Ezekiel 33:11, God says,
00:21:37.23\00:21:40.83
"As I live...I have no pleasure
in the death of the wicked;
00:21:40.86\00:21:45.53
but that the wicked
turn from his way and live:
00:21:45.57\00:21:48.30
turn ye, turn ye
from your evil ways;
00:21:48.34\00:21:52.87
for why will ye
die, O house of Israel?"
00:21:52.91\00:21:56.14
But again, while
Jesus believed in hell,
00:21:57.85\00:22:01.12
and He made clear that sinners
will ultimately be destroyed,
00:22:01.15\00:22:04.55
there's no reason to
become theologically inaccurate
00:22:04.59\00:22:07.39
when you talk about this.
00:22:07.42\00:22:08.99
I believe you'll find a
lot of people have rejected God
00:22:09.02\00:22:11.83
because of what
people say about hell.
00:22:11.86\00:22:14.60
The thing is this: Hell is
ultimately going to destroy sin.
00:22:14.63\00:22:19.57
The very sad fact is
that there will be many people
00:22:19.60\00:22:22.64
who are attached to sin.
00:22:22.67\00:22:24.91
When God destroys sin, the
unrepentant who've chosen sin
00:22:24.94\00:22:29.54
will be destroyed along with it.
00:22:29.58\00:22:32.91
So should a person
live in fear of hell?
00:22:32.95\00:22:35.82
Well, anybody ought
to have a healthy respect
00:22:35.85\00:22:38.12
for what the
future holds for them,
00:22:38.15\00:22:39.55
should they choose to
live in opposition to God.
00:22:39.59\00:22:42.19
But live in fear of hell?
00:22:42.22\00:22:44.49
No, your focus is in the
wrong place when you do that.
00:22:44.53\00:22:47.96
In the old days, the preachers
used to do everything they could
00:22:48.00\00:22:50.10
to make hell sound
absolutely horrifyingly bad,
00:22:50.13\00:22:53.03
but when you focus on that,
and when you talk about a God
00:22:53.07\00:22:56.47
who just can't
wait to fry people,
00:22:56.50\00:22:58.91
there's no wonder people
give up on God altogether.
00:22:58.94\00:23:02.81
Now, you can use the subject
to portray God as hateful
00:23:02.84\00:23:06.01
and cruel and vindictive,
00:23:06.05\00:23:07.98
but He isn't.
00:23:08.02\00:23:09.88
He is just, and He is
going to get rid of sin.
00:23:09.92\00:23:14.12
But He's not a tyrant.
00:23:14.16\00:23:16.22
Too often people get
told that God's going to send
00:23:16.26\00:23:18.83
bad people to hell.
00:23:18.86\00:23:20.23
While you can make a case for
that, it's a pretty lazy case.
00:23:20.26\00:23:24.77
The people who will be
lost are those who've chosen
00:23:24.80\00:23:27.97
not to accept God's gift
of eternal life through Jesus.
00:23:28.00\00:23:32.14
Once you start saying,
00:23:32.17\00:23:33.14
"You'll be lost
because of your drunkenness";
00:23:33.17\00:23:35.74
"You'll be lost because
of your, your dishonesty"--
00:23:35.78\00:23:38.31
that sort of thing--
00:23:38.35\00:23:39.38
essentially, all you're
doing is being a legalist,
00:23:39.41\00:23:42.22
telling somebody that they will
be lost because of this deed
00:23:42.25\00:23:45.32
or that deed.
00:23:45.35\00:23:46.42
Oh, now, of course
I agree sin is bad;
00:23:46.45\00:23:48.79
I wouldn't say otherwise.
00:23:48.82\00:23:50.29
Romans 6, verse 23:
"The wages of sin is death."
00:23:50.33\00:23:54.50
But people are lost
because they don't have Christ.
00:23:54.56\00:23:58.67
The drunkenness and the
lying and whatever else,
00:23:58.70\00:24:02.14
they're just a symptom of that.
00:24:02.17\00:24:04.17
Jesus said in 1 John 5:12,
"He that hath the Son hath life;
00:24:05.54\00:24:11.35
and he that hath not the
Son of God hath not life."
00:24:11.38\00:24:15.42
And I want you to notice what
Jesus said in John 5, verse 40:
00:24:15.45\00:24:19.65
"And ye will not come to
me, that ye might have life."
00:24:19.69\00:24:24.19
So how are things with you?
00:24:25.19\00:24:27.40
When the subject
of hell comes up,
00:24:27.40\00:24:29.76
it's usually
presented one of two ways:
00:24:29.80\00:24:31.60
the hottest, the
worstest, the roastingest,
00:24:31.63\00:24:35.24
God is the cruelest
and the most unhappiest,
00:24:35.27\00:24:39.37
or the subject just presented
as though it's of no concern.
00:24:39.41\00:24:43.14
Well, it's of great concern.
00:24:43.18\00:24:45.28
And God is love; He's not cruel.
00:24:45.31\00:24:47.52
It doesn't mean this
is not serious. It is.
00:24:47.55\00:24:49.85
But if we focus on the flames,
00:24:49.88\00:24:52.42
we're really not focusing
on the most important thing.
00:24:52.45\00:24:54.79
And the most
important thing is your heart
00:24:54.82\00:24:56.32
and whether God has it.
00:24:56.36\00:24:57.49
If Jesus has your heart,
you have His life as your own.
00:24:57.53\00:25:01.76
The Word of God says, "He
that hath the Son hath life."
00:25:01.80\00:25:04.20
First John 5, verse 12.
00:25:04.23\00:25:05.97
So the question really
is, do you have the Son?
00:25:06.00\00:25:10.54
And you can have Him now by
simply opening up your heart
00:25:10.57\00:25:13.51
to Jesus and saying, "I
choose You; I accept You.
00:25:13.54\00:25:17.41
Come into my life.
Be my Lord and Savior."
00:25:17.45\00:25:21.02
Would you do that?
00:25:21.05\00:25:22.55
I encourage you to do that now.
00:25:22.58\00:25:24.79
And make certain
that you have secured
00:25:24.82\00:25:27.29
a bright, a joy-filled eternal
future with a God of love.
00:25:27.32\00:25:35.50
>>Announcer 1: One of the most
serious subjects in the Bible
00:25:37.50\00:25:40.00
is hell, yet it's one
of the least understood.
00:25:40.04\00:25:43.84
What does the Bible
really say about hell?
00:25:43.87\00:25:47.21
Is there a hell?
00:25:47.24\00:25:48.34
How long will it last?
00:25:48.38\00:25:50.15
Today's free offer
is "Understanding Hell."
00:25:50.18\00:25:53.18
You don't have to
wonder about hell anymore.
00:25:53.21\00:25:55.38
Call 800-253-3000
00:25:55.42\00:25:58.62
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:25:58.65\00:26:03.12
Get the "Understanding
Hell" book for free today.
00:26:03.16\00:26:06.23
>>John Bradshaw: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:07.56\00:26:09.53
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:09.56\00:26:12.97
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:13.00\00:26:16.20
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:16.24\00:26:20.48
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:20.51\00:26:21.94
to the address on your screen,
00:26:21.98\00:26:23.41
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:23.45\00:26:27.25
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:27.28\00:26:30.09
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:30.12\00:26:34.26
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:34.29\00:26:37.36
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
00:26:38.36\00:26:40.66
Our Father in heaven,
00:26:40.70\00:26:41.53
¤[soft music]¤
00:26:41.56\00:26:42.53
we thank You today
that You are good and holy
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and righteous and pure.
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Yes, we know that You are just,
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and we know that sin
causes You great pain.
00:26:49.04\00:26:51.31
We're thankful that
one day it will be gone,
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that You'll rid
this universe of sin.
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Heavenly Father,
right now there's someone
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who has been
thinking, if sin goes, I go.
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Friend, if that's your thought,
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then let go of sin and
take hold of Jesus the Savior.
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If you're not certain
you can let go of your sin,
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then just take
hold of Jesus anyway.
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He'll do the work
that needs to be done.
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The Bible says it
is God who works in you
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"to will and to do
of His good pleasure."
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Our Father, would You do that?
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And we will look
forward with confidence;
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we will look forward with hope;
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we will look forward with
Jesus living and abiding in us.
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Today we thank You.
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We thank You for the
gift of eternal life,
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and we claim it, and we praise
You for it, in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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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,
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but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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