>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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Regrets. We all
have them, don't we?
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A doctor once tweeted,
"What is your biggest regret?"
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He was expecting a few people
to respond with answers like,
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"I regret working too much,"
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or "I regret not spending
enough time with the kids."
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Serious enough.
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He was surprised when
people tweeted back saying
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they regretted not
getting enough education,
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not being with
loved ones when they died,
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driving when intoxicated
and causing the death
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of another person.
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One of the saddest regrets
I know of came from a minister
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who was driving late one
night and began to feel sleepy.
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He sensed the Holy
Spirit telling him to pull over
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and get some rest,
but before he could,
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he fell asleep
and ran into a car
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being driven by a
mother of five children.
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He mourned over those
motherless children every day
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for the rest of his life.
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It was a regret he
could never get relief from.
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Maybe you have regrets.
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Today in our series,
"Great Characters of the Bible,"
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I'm going to share
with you the story of a man
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who let his wife influence
him to make an unwise choice,
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and how that one action began
a catastrophic tide of evil
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and resulted in indescribable
woe to the human race.
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The man's name is...
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Adam.
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And his story begins in
the first book of the Bible,
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during the
first week of Creation
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when God made the world.
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Let's read the
first part of the verse.
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Genesis 1, verse 26:
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"And God said, 'Let us
make man in our image.'"
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Now, we know that God
is talking to someone,
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because "us" is plural,
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indicating there's
more than one present.
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Paul agreed with
this in the New Testament,
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Ephesians 3,
verse 9, when he wrote,
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"And to make all see what is
the fellowship of the mystery,
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"which from the beginning of
the ages has been hidden in God
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who created all
things through Jesus Christ."
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Now, did you catch that?
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God created all
things through Jesus Christ.
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It had been a mystery throughout
all the ages who that "us" was,
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but Paul laid it out for
everyone to see and understand.
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The next part of the
verse is mind-boggling.
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It says,
"according to our likeness."
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To be made in the image of
God is an incredible honor.
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How wonderful is that?
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He could have given
no greater stamp of love
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than to make a
person like Himself.
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The creation of Adam
wasn't done on a whim.
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Every feature,
every muscle, every organ,
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they were all designed.
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There was a divine blueprint.
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He was made to resemble
his Creator, with eyes to see
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and ears to hear and a
heart to love and connect with.
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Have you ever seen
the intense delight
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on the face of a young child
as he or she creates things
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with something like Play-Doh?
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If we can have that much
fun creating with Play-Doh,
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imagine the anticipation
and the excitement of Jesus
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as He kneels down and forms man
out of the dust of the ground.
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The Bible continues the
story in Genesis 2, verse 7:
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"And the Lord God formed
man of the dust of the ground,
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"and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life;
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and man became a living being."
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Imagine this lifeless
but beautifully formed body
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fashioned by the hands of God,
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and the Creator of
the universe kneeling down
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and performing an act
similar to resuscitation
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as He breathes life into dirt,
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and suddenly this being emerges
with the intricate system
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of blood and veins
and arteries and organs.
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Some people claim this
marvelous body evolved,
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but the Bible states
that it was designed,
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with an immune system, a
brain capable of learning,
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reasoning, loving,
and storing more knowledge
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than any computer ever designed.
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With his
perfectly clear eyesight,
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Adam looked right
into the face of God.
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Can you imagine what
that must have been like?
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I've got no doubt at
all Jesus was smiling
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as He reached out His
hand and, and pulled Adam up.
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They must have had a lot to talk
about and a lot to discover.
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I can imagine God walking
with Adam through the garden
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as He pointed
out all the animals
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and gave Adam the
honor of naming them.
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After a while, Adam's
keen mind noticed something.
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All the male animals
had a female partner.
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As Adam looked expectantly
at Jesus, his Creator smiled,
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and then the first surgery
was performed as God took a rib
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from the side of Adam
and formed the first woman.
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Later she's named Eve.
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It was the very first marriage.
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And I can tell you this:
There was never a better place
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for a honeymoon
than the Garden of Eden.
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The happy couple began
their life by exploring
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the beautiful garden together.
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I don't know, maybe on the
back of a very docile elephant
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or a tall giraffe, who knows.
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All the animals
were tame at first.
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There was no
fear of wild wolves.
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There was no poison ivy.
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There was no pain.
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As you continue reading
the second chapter of Genesis,
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you'll discover that there
were gold and precious stones
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on the ground.
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There's no way to describe
the pristine beauty of a world
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unmarred by factories,
big cities, and poverty.
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"All of this is for
you," God tells them,
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"except for one tree."
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Genesis 2:16 says,
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"Of every tree of the
garden you may freely eat;
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"but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil
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"you shall not eat, for
in the day that you eat of it
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you shall surely die."
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Of course, Adam had no real
idea what death or evil meant,
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but he did know what love meant.
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God was love.
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God had created
him in His own image.
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God had formed
him with His own hands
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and breathed into
him the breath of life.
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He enjoyed face-to-face
conversations with Jesus
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and the angels.
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Adam had every reason to be
happy and content with his life.
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He lived in a tropical paradise
with all the wealth and beauty
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of the world at his feet.
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Nothing was withheld
for him except for one tree.
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You know, many
people have wondered why God
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gave Adam and Eve an option.
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Why didn't He just program
them to automatically obey,
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like the sun and the moon?
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If God knows the
beginning from the end,
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He knew what
they'd have done, right?
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When we come back,
we'll answer the question:
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Should God have allowed Adam
and Eve the privilege of choice?
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That's straight ahead.
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¤[music swells and ends]¤
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>>John:
Temptation is a fact of life,
00:07:43.32\00:07:45.46
but you can be successful
in the face of temptation.
00:07:45.49\00:07:48.90
Be sure you get
today's free offer,
00:07:48.93\00:07:51.07
"When the Lion Roars,"
00:07:51.10\00:07:53.37
and find out how you can
successfully defeat temptation
00:07:53.40\00:07:57.54
instead of
being defeated by sin.
00:07:57.57\00:07:59.84
To get your free copy
of "When the Lion Roars,"
00:07:59.87\00:08:02.61
call us on 800-253-3000.
00:08:02.64\00:08:05.91
You can write to the
address on your screen
00:08:05.95\00:08:08.02
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:08:08.05\00:08:11.39
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks
for joining me on It Is Written
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as we begin a new series,
"Great Characters of the Bible."
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I've got a question for you.
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If God knew the
end from the beginning,
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He knew what
Adam and Eve would do,
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so should God have allowed Adam
and Eve the privilege of choice?
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No doubt God had a
problem on His hands.
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Adam and Eve weren't
the only beings on earth.
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Lucifer, who'd once been
the highest angel in heaven,
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was there, too.
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The Bible
describes the situation
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in Isaiah 14, verse 12:
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"How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
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"How you are cut
down to the ground,
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"you who weakened the nations!
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"For you have
said in your heart:
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"'I will ascend into heaven,
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I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God.'"
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Instead of being
exalted above God, however,
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Lucifer was cast out of heaven.
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Now, if God had killed Lucifer
for rebelling against Him,
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the other heavenly beings would
have served God out of fear.
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They would have forever
questioned God's fairness.
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God wanted beings
to love Him freely.
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So He allowed them the ability
to exercise freedom of choice,
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even if the choice
they made was a bad choice.
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Consider this:
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Would you want a robot
spouse who does what you say
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because he or she
is programmed to do so?
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Or would you prefer a spouse
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who wants to spend the
rest of his or her life with you
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simply because he
or she adores you?
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Would you prefer a spouse
who cowers behind the door
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when you come home?
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Or one who
rushes into your arms,
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eager for your embrace?
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A friend of mine works at
a shelter for abused spouses.
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Every day, women--
and, and even some men--
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come in to hide from the very
person who pledged to shelter
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and protect them for
the rest of their life.
00:10:10.87\00:10:13.64
Their stories are
sad, and they're horrific.
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The ending's always the same.
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Eventually love is replaced
by fear, because beating someone
00:10:19.81\00:10:24.39
into submission only adds
to the problem, doesn't fix it.
00:10:24.42\00:10:28.22
The abused spouse or
child will eventually walk away
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and never look back, because
love is no longer the foundation
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of the relationship.
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Humans were created with the
need to be loved and accepted.
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Freedom of choice is
ingrained in each of us
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because the
Creator made us that way.
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God will not force
anyone to obey Him,
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so He gave humanity
the ability to choose.
00:10:50.61\00:10:54.22
He gave Adam and Eve
the very simplest test:
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"You shall not eat it, nor shall
you touch it, lest you die."
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Genesis 3, verse 3.
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The Bible doesn't say what
made Eve approach the tree.
00:11:03.79\00:11:07.83
It could have been
curiosity, or it could have been
00:11:07.86\00:11:10.37
that she was following one
beautiful flower after another
00:11:10.40\00:11:13.44
and wasn't aware of
where she was going.
00:11:13.47\00:11:16.17
Now, it seems as we
read the Bible that somehow
00:11:16.20\00:11:18.97
she had separated
herself from her husband.
00:11:19.01\00:11:22.71
Had Adam been with Eve when she
approached a talking serpent,
00:11:22.74\00:11:26.31
he undoubtedly
would have warned her,
00:11:26.35\00:11:28.48
"Honey, could
anything be more obvious?
00:11:28.52\00:11:30.65
Something isn't
right with this picture."
00:11:30.69\00:11:33.02
But Adam, it
seems, wasn't there.
00:11:33.05\00:11:35.22
The devil placed a
seed of doubt in Eve's mind
00:11:35.26\00:11:38.49
when he addressed
her with this question:
00:11:38.53\00:11:41.80
"Has God indeed said,
00:11:41.83\00:11:43.23
'You shall not eat of
every tree of the garden'?"
00:11:43.26\00:11:47.04
His subtle surprise suggests
that God was restricting
00:11:47.07\00:11:50.81
or holding something back.
00:11:50.84\00:11:53.17
Eve listened and objected.
00:11:53.21\00:11:55.78
So Satan changed his
tactics to flattery and charm,
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hinting that God just didn't
want her to be as wise as Him.
00:12:00.38\00:12:03.95
She decided that
there was something magical
00:12:03.99\00:12:05.82
about the fruit because
the other serpents and animals
00:12:05.85\00:12:08.72
didn't talk,
00:12:08.76\00:12:10.39
and this serpent was
holding a conversation with her.
00:12:10.43\00:12:13.26
Eve held the fruit in her hands.
00:12:13.29\00:12:16.23
Since she
didn't die immediately,
00:12:16.26\00:12:18.63
she concluded God
had made a mistake.
00:12:18.67\00:12:21.47
She ate the fruit, and
then she shared it with Adam.
00:12:21.50\00:12:26.51
Adam knew exactly
what had happened.
00:12:26.54\00:12:28.54
No doubt God had warned
him about the angel Lucifer
00:12:28.58\00:12:31.28
who'd been cast out of heaven.
00:12:31.31\00:12:33.18
Adam knew that the penalty
for disobeying God was death.
00:12:33.21\00:12:38.22
So Adam had a decision to make.
00:12:38.25\00:12:40.49
It might be that because
he couldn't stand the thought
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of living without Eve that
he decided to share her fate.
00:12:43.32\00:12:46.73
He seized the
fruit that she offered,
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and he ate it.
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According to 1 Timothy
2:14, Eve was deceived,
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but Adam knew full
well what he was doing.
00:12:54.97\00:12:58.21
Immediately the
beautiful light of righteousness
00:12:58.24\00:13:00.38
that shrouded them faded away.
00:13:00.41\00:13:03.68
Their eyes were opened, and they
both realized they were naked.
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They tried to sew fig leaves
together to cover themselves.
00:13:07.88\00:13:11.32
And then they ran to hide.
00:13:11.35\00:13:13.42
You see, these are
the behavioral patterns
00:13:13.46\00:13:15.09
that began with Adam
and Eve when they sinned,
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and they continue to this day.
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First, the sinner tries to cover
up what he or she did wrong.
00:13:20.70\00:13:24.40
And then, they run as far as
possible from the consequences.
00:13:24.43\00:13:29.10
The next one is
playing the blame game.
00:13:29.14\00:13:31.44
In this case, Adam
blamed God and his wife:
00:13:31.47\00:13:35.98
"The woman whom
You gave to be with me,
00:13:36.01\00:13:39.61
she gave me of
the tree, and I ate."
00:13:39.65\00:13:42.85
God turns to Eve and
asks, "What...have [you] done?"
00:13:42.88\00:13:46.29
She replies, "The
serpent deceived me."
00:13:46.32\00:13:50.56
God had been very clear.
00:13:50.59\00:13:52.19
Death was the sentence,
but not just for Adam and Eve;
00:13:52.23\00:13:58.67
everything in the
world began to slowly die.
00:13:58.70\00:14:02.50
Like a fully charged flashlight,
it's bright at first,
00:14:02.54\00:14:06.37
so Adam and Eve
were full of vitality.
00:14:06.41\00:14:08.64
Their eyesight, clear,
00:14:08.68\00:14:11.15
their skin,
flawless, no wrinkles.
00:14:11.18\00:14:14.52
But gradually, the flashlight
gets dimmer and dimmer
00:14:14.55\00:14:18.59
as the battery
uses up its energy.
00:14:18.62\00:14:22.29
So it was with Adam and Eve.
00:14:22.32\00:14:24.26
So it is with us.
00:14:24.29\00:14:25.99
We're born with energy and life,
00:14:26.03\00:14:28.26
but as we get older, the
battery gets dimmer and dimmer.
00:14:28.30\00:14:32.67
To Eve, God said, "I will
greatly multiply your sorrow
00:14:32.70\00:14:37.21
and your conception; in pain
you shall bring forth children."
00:14:37.24\00:14:41.38
To Adam, God declared, "Cursed
is the ground for your sake;
00:14:41.41\00:14:45.88
"in toil you shall eat of
it all the days of your life.
00:14:45.91\00:14:49.52
"Both thorns and thistles
it shall bring forth for you,
00:14:49.55\00:14:53.22
and you shall eat
the herb of the field."
00:14:53.25\00:14:55.59
After being rejected, God
was still looking out for Adam.
00:14:55.62\00:14:59.69
"The ground is
cursed for your sake."
00:14:59.73\00:15:02.90
Work was meant to be a blessing.
00:15:02.93\00:15:04.90
It's a physical blessing,
00:15:04.93\00:15:06.20
providing exercise
and sunshine, fresh air.
00:15:06.23\00:15:09.20
It's a mental
blessing because you have
00:15:09.24\00:15:10.71
a sense of accomplishment.
00:15:10.74\00:15:11.91
That sense of accomplishment
brings forth praise
00:15:11.94\00:15:14.38
to the Creator and
so, therefore, it becomes
00:15:14.41\00:15:16.48
a spiritual
blessing to us as well.
00:15:16.51\00:15:19.58
God continues:
00:15:19.61\00:15:20.98
"In the sweat of your
face you shall eat bread
00:15:21.02\00:15:23.52
"till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
00:15:23.55\00:15:27.12
for dust you are, and
to dust you shall return."
00:15:27.16\00:15:32.19
God is never caught by surprise.
00:15:32.23\00:15:35.20
When we come back, God's
beautiful plan of redemption
00:15:35.23\00:15:38.60
is to restore Adam
back in the Garden of Eden.
00:15:38.63\00:15:42.40
But how would He do that?
00:15:42.44\00:15:44.51
You'll see when we return.
00:15:44.54\00:15:45.84
¤[music swells and ends]¤
00:15:45.87\00:15:52.88
>>John:
Temptation is a fact of life,
00:15:54.92\00:15:57.29
but you can be successful
in the face of temptation.
00:15:57.32\00:16:00.86
Be sure you get
today's free offer,
00:16:00.89\00:16:02.89
"When the Lion Roars,"
00:16:02.92\00:16:05.33
and find out how you can
successfully defeat temptation
00:16:05.36\00:16:09.46
instead of
being defeated by sin.
00:16:09.50\00:16:11.77
To get your free copy
of "When the Lion Roars,"
00:16:11.80\00:16:14.44
call us on 800-253-3000.
00:16:14.47\00:16:17.77
You can write to the
address on your screen
00:16:17.81\00:16:19.54
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:16:19.57\00:16:23.85
>>John: When God
created the earth,
00:16:25.45\00:16:27.55
He designed
three unique systems:
00:16:27.58\00:16:30.29
the land, the
water, and the air.
00:16:30.32\00:16:35.66
These systems
functioned in perfect unity,
00:16:35.69\00:16:38.63
and everything in them
benefited everything else.
00:16:38.66\00:16:41.60
But if you look
at the world now,
00:16:41.63\00:16:44.30
you'll see that
each of these systems
00:16:44.33\00:16:46.17
is in significant
and accelerating decline.
00:16:46.20\00:16:51.17
Join me for
"Earth's Rapid Decline,"
00:16:51.21\00:16:54.18
part 4 of It Is Written
series "Prequel of the Bible."
00:16:54.21\00:16:58.71
The whole planet groans
under the weight of sin.
00:16:58.75\00:17:02.65
The Bible says that "the earth
will grow old like a garment."
00:17:02.68\00:17:07.09
We'll explore what
this means for us today
00:17:07.12\00:17:09.79
and what it
means for the future.
00:17:09.82\00:17:12.29
Don't miss
"Earth's Rapid Decline,"
00:17:12.33\00:17:15.63
part 4 of our five-part
series, "Prequel of the Bible,"
00:17:15.66\00:17:19.97
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:17:20.00\00:17:23.04
>>John Bradshaw:
Adam's story is sad.
00:17:25.91\00:17:28.78
And if it ended with God telling
him he would return to dust,
00:17:28.81\00:17:31.45
if it ended that
way, it'd be depressing.
00:17:31.48\00:17:34.78
But it doesn't end there.
00:17:34.82\00:17:36.82
God would not leave
His children without hope.
00:17:36.85\00:17:39.79
After cursing the serpent,
00:17:39.82\00:17:41.22
He made it to crawl
on its belly forever.
00:17:41.26\00:17:44.33
Then God said, "And I
will put enmity between you
00:17:44.36\00:17:48.26
"and the woman, and
between your seed and her Seed;
00:17:48.30\00:17:52.10
He shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise His heel."
00:17:52.13\00:17:57.97
"Enmity" means
"hostility or hatred."
00:17:58.01\00:18:00.94
In today's
vocabulary, God was saying,
00:18:00.98\00:18:03.28
"I will put hostility
between Satan and my children."
00:18:03.31\00:18:06.98
One of Adam and
Eve's seed, Jesus,
00:18:07.02\00:18:09.52
would take upon
Himself human nature,
00:18:09.55\00:18:12.32
and He would end the power
of the serpent known as Satan.
00:18:12.35\00:18:16.06
Satan, like a striking
serpent, would try to kill Him.
00:18:16.09\00:18:19.53
Just as a man would crush
the head of a poisonous snake
00:18:19.56\00:18:22.60
with his bare heel
to save his children,
00:18:22.63\00:18:25.37
so the Savior will
sacrifice His own life
00:18:25.40\00:18:28.50
to save those who love Him,
00:18:28.54\00:18:30.57
and He will utterly
crush the serpent's head.
00:18:30.61\00:18:35.28
This was the
hope of Adam and Eve.
00:18:35.31\00:18:39.11
The remorseful couple was sent
out from the Garden of Eden,
00:18:39.15\00:18:42.72
and the gate was
guarded by an angel
00:18:42.75\00:18:45.12
holding a sword to
protect the tree of life.
00:18:45.15\00:18:49.16
God didn't want
them to eat the fruit
00:18:49.19\00:18:50.49
and become immortal sinners.
00:18:50.53\00:18:53.53
It was a huge price to pay for
what some might consider to be
00:18:53.56\00:18:56.67
a relatively small sin.
00:18:56.70\00:18:58.93
But life went on.
00:18:58.97\00:19:00.40
It went on, but
things were different,
00:19:00.44\00:19:03.00
very different.
00:19:03.04\00:19:04.57
Food had been
free in the garden;
00:19:04.61\00:19:06.84
it was theirs for the picking.
00:19:06.88\00:19:08.01
But now they had to
grow it for themselves.
00:19:08.04\00:19:10.35
Adam could deal
with the hard work.
00:19:10.38\00:19:12.15
He knew that he deserved it.
00:19:12.18\00:19:13.75
But now animals began
to prey on each other.
00:19:13.78\00:19:17.99
Once friendly, they began to
slink away from Adam's presence
00:19:18.02\00:19:22.76
in fear, as if they,
too, knew he was responsible
00:19:22.79\00:19:25.86
for their plight.
00:19:25.89\00:19:27.13
Flowers lost their petals.
00:19:27.13\00:19:29.03
Trees lost their leaves.
00:19:29.06\00:19:31.23
Eve cried in pain as she
delivered sons and daughters.
00:19:31.27\00:19:35.00
It was almost too much.
00:19:35.04\00:19:37.67
The only thing that
kept Adam going was the hope
00:19:37.71\00:19:39.77
that one of these
sons would be the Seed
00:19:39.81\00:19:42.51
to crush the serpent's head and
restore their once-happy lives.
00:19:42.54\00:19:48.08
But it wasn't to be.
00:19:48.12\00:19:49.25
At least, at least it
wasn't to be in Adam's lifetime.
00:19:49.28\00:19:53.12
His first son, Cain, became
the world's first murderer.
00:19:53.15\00:19:56.86
In a fit of temper he
slew his brother Abel.
00:19:56.89\00:19:59.79
Death had come to Adam's family.
00:19:59.83\00:20:02.06
Adam lost two sons that
day, as Cain fled, a marked man.
00:20:02.10\00:20:08.17
Imagine the grief and guilt that
this first set of parents felt
00:20:08.20\00:20:12.94
as they buried the lifeless
form of their beloved son,
00:20:12.97\00:20:16.44
knowing that sin and death came
about because of their decision
00:20:16.48\00:20:21.85
to disobey God.
00:20:21.88\00:20:23.85
Do you remember how Adam
was made in the image of God,
00:20:23.89\00:20:26.29
completely sinless?
00:20:26.32\00:20:28.09
That image changed as sin left
its mark on his countenance,
00:20:28.12\00:20:31.59
in his
thoughts, and in his body.
00:20:31.63\00:20:33.73
Genesis 5, verse 3 says,
00:20:33.76\00:20:35.46
"And Adam lived a
hundred and thirty years,
00:20:35.50\00:20:38.40
"and begat a son
in his own likeness,
00:20:38.43\00:20:41.30
after his image; and
called his name Seth."
00:20:41.34\00:20:46.11
Adam's children inherited the
fallen nature of their parents.
00:20:46.14\00:20:51.41
As the years ticked by,
Adam lived to be 930 years old.
00:20:51.45\00:20:56.15
Remember, he was made
perfect by the hands of God.
00:20:56.18\00:20:59.22
There were no bad
genetics passed down to him.
00:20:59.25\00:21:01.82
Also there were no diseases
prevalent, not like now.
00:21:01.86\00:21:04.79
There was no
diabetes. There was no cancer.
00:21:04.83\00:21:07.50
Adam saw his children
grow up to be parents.
00:21:07.56\00:21:10.30
He saw his grandchildren
grow up to be parents.
00:21:10.33\00:21:12.93
Each generation, however,
grew a little more rebellious
00:21:12.97\00:21:16.97
as the curse of sin
penetrated the earth.
00:21:17.01\00:21:21.24
Adam did what he could
to stay the tide of evil.
00:21:21.28\00:21:24.61
He told the story of
his creation and his fall
00:21:24.65\00:21:27.48
to everyone who would listen.
00:21:27.52\00:21:29.28
That's when God did
something truly spectacular
00:21:30.12\00:21:33.82
to encourage everyone.
00:21:33.86\00:21:36.22
Enoch was born, a
descendant of Adam's son Seth.
00:21:36.26\00:21:39.66
Adam was still
living and telling everyone
00:21:39.69\00:21:41.53
about his wonderful Creator and
the promise to one day restore
00:21:41.56\00:21:45.27
the Garden of Eden
through his descendant.
00:21:45.30\00:21:47.90
Adam would have
told the story to Enoch.
00:21:47.94\00:21:50.24
Enoch lived 65 years
and then begat a son.
00:21:50.27\00:21:54.64
It was after holding
his little boy in his arms
00:21:54.68\00:21:58.65
that Enoch's heart
understood the sacrifice
00:21:58.68\00:22:01.55
that God would one day
make in giving His own Son
00:22:01.58\00:22:05.02
to save the human family.
00:22:05.05\00:22:06.96
Day and night he communed
with God and grew in faith.
00:22:06.99\00:22:10.83
This was the relationship
that God craved with Adam
00:22:10.86\00:22:13.83
in the garden.
00:22:13.86\00:22:15.10
For 300 years, this
relationship grew so strong
00:22:15.13\00:22:20.44
between God and
Enoch that the Bible says,
00:22:20.47\00:22:23.41
"And Enoch walked with God; and
he was not, for God took him."
00:22:23.44\00:22:29.81
Enoch's translation
into heaven was stirring.
00:22:29.84\00:22:32.51
It was
indisputable encouragement
00:22:32.55\00:22:34.48
to all who chose to follow God.
00:22:34.52\00:22:36.52
God was declaring that "He is,
00:22:36.55\00:22:39.02
and that He is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek Him."
00:22:39.05\00:22:41.76
That's Hebrews 11 and verse 6.
00:22:41.79\00:22:43.96
Think about this.
00:22:43.99\00:22:45.59
Adam was born in a
perfect world and chose to sin.
00:22:45.63\00:22:50.20
Enoch was born in a sinful
world and chose not to sin.
00:22:50.23\00:22:55.77
We all have that choice.
00:22:55.80\00:22:57.91
God's grace will be there
for anyone who chooses Him.
00:22:57.94\00:23:03.11
At one time Adam was
the happiest man alive,
00:23:03.14\00:23:06.48
but he also became
the saddest man alive
00:23:06.51\00:23:09.25
because he saw the
terrible consequences of sin.
00:23:09.28\00:23:12.69
Fortunately he
died before the Flood.
00:23:12.72\00:23:15.39
It may well have been
too much for him to see
00:23:15.42\00:23:17.13
the beautiful world
God had created for him
00:23:17.16\00:23:19.39
totally destroyed by water.
00:23:19.43\00:23:21.76
But the condition of the
world had become so deplorable
00:23:21.80\00:23:24.07
that the Bible says,
00:23:24.10\00:23:25.33
"The wickedness of man
was great in the earth,
00:23:25.37\00:23:28.30
"and that every imagination
of the thoughts of his heart
00:23:28.34\00:23:30.64
"was only evil continually.
00:23:30.67\00:23:32.84
And it repented the Lord that
He had made man on the earth."
00:23:32.87\00:23:35.98
Genesis 6, verses 5 and 6.
00:23:36.01\00:23:38.65
Adam could have
lived in a perfect world,
00:23:38.68\00:23:41.48
but for the lack
of faith he showed
00:23:41.52\00:23:43.28
when he and his wife
ate the forbidden fruit.
00:23:43.32\00:23:46.69
But the seed of Abraham, Jesus,
came to this imperfect earth,
00:23:46.72\00:23:51.96
and Jesus became
"the second Adam."
00:23:51.99\00:23:55.43
He was attacked from
every side by Lucifer
00:23:55.46\00:23:57.97
and Lucifer's wicked angels,
00:23:58.00\00:24:00.10
but He chose not
to succumb to Satan.
00:24:00.14\00:24:02.80
He took the sentence of
death so that you and I can have
00:24:02.84\00:24:06.27
the gift of life.
00:24:06.31\00:24:07.84
He has promised to
restore Eden again.
00:24:07.88\00:24:10.61
It's written in
Isaiah 51, verse 3,
00:24:10.65\00:24:12.88
"For the Lord will comfort Zion,
00:24:12.91\00:24:14.82
"He will comfort
all her waste places;
00:24:14.85\00:24:17.12
"He will make her
wilderness like Eden,
00:24:17.15\00:24:19.85
and her desert like
the garden of the Lord."
00:24:19.89\00:24:22.46
It is written in the
last chapter of the Bible,
00:24:22.49\00:24:24.43
"Blessed are those
who do His commandments,
00:24:24.46\00:24:26.70
"that they may have...
right to the tree of life,
00:24:26.73\00:24:29.30
and may enter through
the gates into the city."
00:24:29.33\00:24:32.93
Today we stand on
the brink of eternity,
00:24:32.97\00:24:35.44
confronted every day with
the choice Adam had to make.
00:24:35.47\00:24:39.47
You could choose
to ignore God's Word,
00:24:39.51\00:24:42.58
or like Enoch, you could choose
to walk with God every day.
00:24:42.61\00:24:47.38
Adam repented of his sin, and
God has promised to restore him
00:24:47.42\00:24:51.72
to the Garden of Eden.
00:24:51.75\00:24:53.39
I want to be there when the two
Adams come face to face again.
00:24:53.42\00:24:58.09
How about you?
00:24:58.13\00:24:59.49
It's as easy as lifting up
your eyes to heaven and saying,
00:24:59.53\00:25:03.10
"God, I want to walk with You.
00:25:03.13\00:25:06.47
Take my heart
and make it Yours."
00:25:06.50\00:25:10.04
Can you do that?
00:25:10.07\00:25:11.04
¤[soft piano music]¤
00:25:11.07\00:25:12.14
Can you look in the
direction of heaven right now?
00:25:12.17\00:25:14.81
One thing about Adam's story
is it gives us encouragement
00:25:14.84\00:25:18.71
to know that God
is a forgiving God,
00:25:18.75\00:25:21.75
and if Adam can be
saved after what he did,
00:25:21.78\00:25:25.15
God definitely
has a plan for you.
00:25:25.19\00:25:28.26
Trust God with that plan.
00:25:28.29\00:25:30.39
Let Him forgive
you and remake you.
00:25:30.43\00:25:33.19
Walk with Him every day,
00:25:33.23\00:25:35.76
and know for certain
that God will walk with you.
00:25:35.80\00:25:41.67
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:25:42.67\00:25:44.67
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:25:44.71\00:25:48.11
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:25:48.14\00:25:51.38
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:25:51.41\00:25:55.62
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:25:55.65\00:25:57.09
to the address on your screen,
00:25:57.12\00:25:58.59
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:25:58.62\00:26:02.46
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:02.49\00:26:05.33
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:05.36\00:26:09.43
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:09.46\00:26:12.60
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together.
00:26:13.84\00:26:15.67
Our Father in
heaven, we have much to learn
00:26:15.70\00:26:18.01
from the story of Adam.
00:26:18.04\00:26:19.74
We have much to
learn about ourselves
00:26:19.77\00:26:21.71
and much to learn about You.
00:26:21.74\00:26:23.88
We recognize that in
our humanity we are weak.
00:26:23.91\00:26:27.52
¤[soft music]¤
00:26:27.55\00:26:28.58
We recognize that of
ourselves we can do nothing.
00:26:28.62\00:26:32.35
But we recognize that You
are merciful and gracious,
00:26:32.39\00:26:36.42
willing to forgive,
and so now we repent,
00:26:36.46\00:26:39.66
we repent of our sins,
recognizing it was our sins
00:26:39.69\00:26:44.07
that nailed Jesus to
the old rugged cross.
00:26:44.10\00:26:47.24
We believe that one day Jesus
will come back to this earth,
00:26:47.27\00:26:51.07
and that with Adam we can
stand on the circle of the earth
00:26:51.11\00:26:55.48
and say, "Lo, this is our God.
00:26:55.51\00:26:58.35
We have waited for
Him, and He will save us."
00:26:58.38\00:27:02.35
Friend, if there's
any doubt in your mind
00:27:02.38\00:27:04.59
about your relationship with
God, your standing with God,
00:27:04.62\00:27:07.89
invite Him now into your heart.
00:27:07.92\00:27:09.62
Father, for that person, I
pray the gift of salvation,
00:27:09.66\00:27:12.96
the assurance of salvation.
00:27:12.99\00:27:14.36
I pray that now
You'd speak to that heart,
00:27:14.40\00:27:16.73
that heart might open up to You,
00:27:16.77\00:27:19.43
and that you might live Your
life in even the weakest sinner,
00:27:19.47\00:27:24.04
making him or her strong in
the grace of our Lord Jesus.
00:27:24.07\00:27:28.78
Our Father, we thank
You that there is a way back
00:27:28.81\00:27:31.18
through Jesus.
00:27:31.21\00:27:32.68
We thank You that You
chose to restore Adam,
00:27:32.71\00:27:35.85
and that You will
indeed restore us.
00:27:35.88\00:27:38.89
Bless us now.
00:27:38.92\00:27:39.89
Keep us close to
Your heart always.
00:27:39.92\00:27:43.39
We pray in Jesus' name.
00:27:43.43\00:27:46.70
Amen.
00:27:46.73\00:27:48.40
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:48.43\00:27:49.73
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:49.76\00:27:51.53
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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¤[dramatic theme music]¤
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