¤[music ends]¤¤
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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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They're 10 of the most famous
seconds in all of history.
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¤[soft music]¤
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In 1936, a 22-year-old
man stepped into the pages
00:00:30.69\00:00:35.66
of history and captured
the imagination of people
00:00:35.70\00:00:38.63
all over the world.
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His story is one
of humble beginnings
00:00:40.40\00:00:42.77
and overcoming impossible odds.
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He became the most
famous person on the planet,
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carrying the
hopes of his country
00:00:49.28\00:00:51.25
into a complicated
political situation
00:00:51.28\00:00:54.28
while delivering a black eye
00:00:54.32\00:00:55.75
to one of history's
most controversial figures.
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Oakville, Alabama, might
seem like a curious place
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for a museum--70
miles or so from Birmingham
00:01:03.69\00:01:07.46
and 15 miles off the freeway.
00:01:07.50\00:01:10.17
But it was right here that
one of the most gifted athletes
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in all of history was born.
00:01:14.37\00:01:16.84
His story is one of
redemption, struggle, triumph,
00:01:16.87\00:01:21.68
of overcoming
odds and paving the way
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for many who came after him.
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James Cleveland Owens spent the
first years of his life here.
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As a little boy he
picked cotton in these fields
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and, as one of 10 children,
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lived in a small cabin
almost identical to this one.
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The children all
slept on the floor.
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Mother and father
slept in the only bed.
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James attended church with his
siblings and his devout parents
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in a building that
doubled as a schoolhouse,
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and they all faced
an uncertain future.
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His
grandparents had been slaves.
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The Emancipation
Proclamation had been signed
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just 50 years
before he was born.
00:02:01.28\00:02:04.39
Job opportunities in
rural Alabama were scarce.
00:02:04.42\00:02:08.46
A meaningful education was
completely out of the question
00:02:08.49\00:02:11.53
for a black kid in the South.
00:02:11.56\00:02:13.76
But a couple of
things came together
00:02:13.80\00:02:15.26
to give young James a future.
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For one thing,
he could really run.
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And sensing there
were no opportunities
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for their children, his
parents, Henry and Mary,
00:02:23.34\00:02:26.68
joined the great migration
from the American South,
00:02:26.71\00:02:29.34
relocating their
family to Cleveland, Ohio.
00:02:29.38\00:02:32.81
Young J.C. was among the
millions of African-Americans
00:02:32.85\00:02:36.02
who left the South in
search of opportunity,
00:02:36.05\00:02:39.25
and opportunity found J.C.
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¤[music ends]¤¤
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What if this young man
had never had the opportunity
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to move north?
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I asked Nancy Pinion, director
of the Jesse Owens Museum
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in Oakville, Alabama.
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What do you think his
life would have looked like
00:02:53.44\00:02:55.87
if he hadn't moved, if he and
his family had not moved north?
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>>Nancy Pinion: His
life, um, would have looked
00:03:00.04\00:03:02.34
very different.
00:03:02.38\00:03:04.05
He would have not had a chance
in Alabama to become educated,
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much less to have
competed in sports,
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as he did in
Ohio and in college.
00:03:13.79\00:03:17.83
His family were sharecroppers,
and they probably would have
00:03:17.86\00:03:21.06
still been
sharecroppers his entire life.
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He would not have been
able to have gone to school
00:03:25.60\00:03:28.80
with the, you know, whites here.
00:03:28.84\00:03:31.97
>>John: It was
while he was attending
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Fairmount Junior High
School in Cleveland, Ohio,
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that J.C. was
taken under the wing
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of a track coach
named Charles Riley.
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By now the young
man was known as Jesse.
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A teacher
misunderstood his name, J.C.
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By the time he was a high
school kid of 15 years of age,
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he was one of the
fastest men on the planet.
00:03:50.39\00:03:53.29
With the right opportunities,
00:03:53.33\00:03:54.66
the gifts and abilities
Jesse possessed were nurtured,
00:03:54.73\00:03:58.03
and the boy from Alabama
got the opportunity to attend
00:03:58.07\00:04:01.34
Ohio State University,
where he established himself
00:04:01.37\00:04:05.11
as one of the world's
elite track-and-field athletes.
00:04:05.14\00:04:09.54
By the time he was 21, Jesse
Owens had set world records.
00:04:09.58\00:04:13.38
He tied the world
record over 100 yards
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while he was in high school.
00:04:15.95\00:04:17.99
But it was what he did in
a period of just 45 minutes
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one day in May of 1935 that
set the sporting world ablaze.
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These were the days in which
tens of thousands of people
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would show up to
watch college track events.
00:04:30.93\00:04:33.87
So what happened in
Ann Arbor, Michigan,
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echoed around the world.
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In spite of a back
injury so severe that his coach,
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Larry Snyder,
demanded he withdraw
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from the Big Ten championships,
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Owens broke three world
records and equaled a fourth.
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Prior to this, no one had
ever broken two world records
00:04:52.35\00:04:55.62
in a day, and Owens
set four world marks
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in three-quarters of an hour.
00:05:00.20\00:05:02.36
He was now the world's fastest
over the 220-yard hurdles,
00:05:02.40\00:05:05.90
in the 220-yards
dash, the broad jump--
00:05:05.93\00:05:08.90
that's what today we
would call the long jump--
00:05:08.94\00:05:11.57
and he co-owned the
world record in the 100 yards.
00:05:11.61\00:05:14.88
In fact, his broad jump
record stood for 25 years.
00:05:14.91\00:05:20.35
And all this happened in
an age when the running tracks
00:05:20.38\00:05:23.39
were made from packed dirt.
Sprinters would use a trowel
00:05:23.42\00:05:27.66
to dig holes in the track
to act as starting blocks.
00:05:27.69\00:05:31.23
Uniforms were
made from heavy cotton.
00:05:31.26\00:05:34.10
This was the sporting
Stone Age compared to today.
00:05:34.13\00:05:38.30
Yet Owens was a
legend, a phenomenon,
00:05:38.33\00:05:42.14
and straight ahead
were the 1936 Olympic Games.
00:05:42.17\00:05:49.28
Now, you can't
consider the Jesse Owens story
00:05:49.31\00:05:51.95
without remembering the times.
00:05:51.98\00:05:54.98
The United States was
marinating in Jim Crow.
00:05:55.02\00:05:59.15
Jesse Owens
couldn't have attended
00:05:59.19\00:06:00.92
the University of
Alabama in his home state
00:06:00.96\00:06:04.43
as Alabama didn't accept
black students until 1963.
00:06:04.46\00:06:08.86
This was 20 years before
Rosa Parks refused to sit
00:06:08.90\00:06:12.00
in the back of the bus.
00:06:12.03\00:06:13.50
Jackie Robinson
wouldn't break the color barrier
00:06:13.54\00:06:15.80
in professional baseball
for another dozen years.
00:06:15.84\00:06:19.44
Owens couldn't eat
at most restaurants
00:06:19.47\00:06:22.14
or stay in most hotels
00:06:22.18\00:06:24.08
simply because of
the color of his skin.
00:06:24.11\00:06:27.12
He was about to
become the hero of a nation
00:06:27.15\00:06:29.45
that didn't extend basic civil
rights to him or his family.
00:06:29.48\00:06:34.26
And without being
any kind of activist,
00:06:34.29\00:06:36.69
Jesse Owens was going to
bring discrimination into focus
00:06:36.73\00:06:40.06
like no athlete had ever done.
00:06:40.10\00:06:43.53
The 1936 Olympic
Games were to be held
00:06:43.57\00:06:45.70
in Berlin, Germany, and
would be unapologetically
00:06:45.73\00:06:50.34
a massive propaganda campaign
for Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party
00:06:50.37\00:06:54.78
and their belief in the
superiority of the white race.
00:06:54.81\00:06:58.81
Now, the United States
very nearly didn't attend
00:06:58.85\00:07:01.65
the 1936 Olympic Games.
00:07:01.68\00:07:04.29
How in the world could America
support a regime that practiced
00:07:04.32\00:07:08.89
open hostile racism
against its own people?
00:07:08.92\00:07:13.13
If the United States
withdrew from the 1936 Olympics,
00:07:13.16\00:07:16.53
Jesse Owens' future would
have looked vastly different.
00:07:16.56\00:07:20.40
He wouldn't have gone to Berlin,
00:07:20.44\00:07:22.10
and we wouldn't be
talking about him right now.
00:07:22.14\00:07:24.67
The boy with no future
would not have had a future.
00:07:24.71\00:07:29.51
So what happened? And how
does this speak to faith in God?
00:07:29.54\00:07:34.42
I'll tell you in just a moment.
00:07:34.45\00:07:37.15
¤[music swells, then ends]¤¤
00:07:37.19\00:07:44.19
>>Announcer 1: The Bible
describes the Christian life
00:07:46.36\00:07:48.43
as "the race that
is set before us."
00:07:48.46\00:07:50.97
Give your kids the training they
need to run the race of life.
00:07:51.00\00:07:54.30
Our free offer today is
"Blueprints for Eternity,"
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part of the children's My Place
With Jesus Bible study guides.
00:07:57.54\00:08:01.11
To receive
"Blueprints for Eternity,"
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call 800-253-3000
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or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
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Again, that
number is 800-253-3000
00:08:09.42\00:08:12.95
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:08:12.99\00:08:15.79
¤[upbeat music]¤
00:08:16.73\00:08:18.99
>>Announcer 2: Planning
for your financial future
00:08:19.03\00:08:20.63
is a vital aspect of
Christian stewardship.
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For this reason, It Is
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For information on
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Call today or visit our website:
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Call 800-992-2219.
00:08:41.65\00:08:45.15
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:08:45.19\00:08:46.19
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:08:47.36\00:08:50.09
Germany in 1936 was not
yet Germany in 1939 or 1943.
00:08:50.13\00:08:57.60
But people around
the world were looking
00:08:57.63\00:08:59.20
at what was happening in
Germany with growing unease.
00:08:59.23\00:09:02.87
Even though the real horrors
of the Holocaust were still
00:09:02.90\00:09:05.24
a few years away, laws
had already been passed
00:09:05.27\00:09:08.61
designating Jews, who
made up less than one percent
00:09:08.64\00:09:12.05
of Germany's population,
as second-class citizens.
00:09:12.08\00:09:16.32
Jews made such a major
and positive contribution
00:09:16.35\00:09:19.52
to Germany's culture and
economy that many thought
00:09:19.55\00:09:22.36
that Germany would
never really marginalize them.
00:09:22.39\00:09:25.86
But by 1936 Jews
were being attacked,
00:09:25.89\00:09:29.20
Jewish businesses
were being boycotted,
00:09:29.23\00:09:31.23
Jewish books were
being publicly burned,
00:09:31.27\00:09:34.60
and Jews were
prevented from participating
00:09:34.64\00:09:36.60
in many aspects of German life.
00:09:36.64\00:09:39.17
Legislation passed
in 1935 stripped Jews
00:09:39.21\00:09:43.01
of their
citizenship and prevented them
00:09:43.04\00:09:44.78
from marrying non-Jews.
00:09:44.81\00:09:47.32
The same laws applied to the
Roma, or Gypsies, and blacks.
00:09:47.35\00:09:52.42
In the United States,
00:09:52.45\00:09:53.62
the propriety of attending
the Olympic Games in Germany--
00:09:53.66\00:09:56.86
and by so doing tacitly
supporting Hitler's regime--
00:09:56.89\00:10:00.86
was being seriously questioned.
00:10:00.90\00:10:03.00
Many were calling for a
boycott of the Olympic Games,
00:10:03.03\00:10:05.53
among them state
governors and U.S. senators.
00:10:05.57\00:10:08.64
New York City Mayor
Fiorello La Guardia insisted
00:10:08.67\00:10:11.71
the United States
boycott the 1936 Olympics.
00:10:11.74\00:10:16.28
There was real
division in black America
00:10:16.31\00:10:18.31
over this question.
00:10:18.35\00:10:19.65
Should the 18 black
athletes on the 1936 team
00:10:19.68\00:10:23.39
protest Hitler and boycott, or
go to Berlin and show the world
00:10:23.42\00:10:28.99
how wrong
Hitler's racist ideas were?
00:10:29.02\00:10:32.59
Ultimately, the Amateur
Athletic Union voted narrowly
00:10:32.63\00:10:36.46
not to boycott.
00:10:36.50\00:10:38.53
And Jesse Owens was
caught in the middle of it all.
00:10:38.57\00:10:41.74
The secretary of the
NAACP personally requested
00:10:41.77\00:10:45.57
Owens not run at the Olympics.
00:10:45.61\00:10:48.14
His coach, Larry Snyder,
urged him to do so, to run.
00:10:48.18\00:10:52.21
By now he had a
wife and daughter,
00:10:52.25\00:10:53.98
and Snyder believed that
Jesse could earn $100,000
00:10:54.02\00:10:57.22
if he was successful in Berlin.
00:10:57.25\00:10:59.52
By so doing he could
secure his family's future.
00:10:59.55\00:11:03.49
Jesse was under immense
pressure from a wide array
00:11:03.53\00:11:06.83
of different people
to speak up for a cause.
00:11:06.86\00:11:10.63
What sort of difficulty
did that place him under?
00:11:10.67\00:11:14.94
>>Nancy Pinion: He had to
consider the fact that the NAACP
00:11:14.97\00:11:20.28
was, um, asking him
not to go--to take a stand.
00:11:20.31\00:11:25.71
Uh, you know, his
family was taking a stand.
00:11:25.75\00:11:30.72
But it was his choice.
00:11:30.75\00:11:32.12
So I think he considered
it all from every direction
00:11:32.15\00:11:34.96
and made his own choice,
00:11:34.99\00:11:36.62
which was the
right choice we know now.
00:11:36.66\00:11:39.36
>>John: Owens' success in
Berlin was not guaranteed.
00:11:39.39\00:11:44.50
In the lead-up to the
Games, his great rival,
00:11:44.53\00:11:47.34
Eulace Peacock of
New Jersey--like Owens,
00:11:47.37\00:11:50.44
was born in Alabama--was
regularly beating him.
00:11:50.47\00:11:54.48
Maybe the man with the world
records would only win silver
00:11:54.51\00:11:56.91
in Berlin. But shortly
before the Olympic trials,
00:11:56.95\00:12:00.58
Eulace Peacock
pulled a hamstring.
00:12:00.62\00:12:03.79
The Olympics for him
were over before they began.
00:12:03.82\00:12:09.19
The 110,000-seat
Olympic stadium in Berlin
00:12:09.22\00:12:12.33
was constructed
especially for the event.
00:12:12.36\00:12:14.96
I've been there myself.
It's an impressive structure.
00:12:15.00\00:12:19.17
And as the world looked
on, the Games went ahead,
00:12:19.20\00:12:23.00
and Jesse Owens ran
and jumped into history.
00:12:23.04\00:12:27.88
He set a world record in
the heats of the 100 meters
00:12:27.91\00:12:31.08
and went on to
win the gold medal.
00:12:31.11\00:12:33.62
American Ralph
Metcalfe, born in Georgia
00:12:33.65\00:12:36.38
and raised in
Chicago, came second.
00:12:36.42\00:12:40.02
He set another world
record winning the final
00:12:40.06\00:12:42.32
of the 200 meters,
with Mack Robinson,
00:12:42.36\00:12:46.03
older brother of baseball great
Jackie Robinson, winning silver.
00:12:46.06\00:12:50.87
In the long jump, Owens beat
the German champion Luz Long,
00:12:50.90\00:12:55.77
in what was an epic
battle, and he might not have
00:12:55.80\00:12:59.04
if Long hadn't demonstrated
some remarkable sportsmanship.
00:12:59.07\00:13:03.75
The very white,
very German Long offered
00:13:03.78\00:13:07.55
his African-American
rival some friendly advice
00:13:07.58\00:13:10.35
when it looked like
Owens was going to foul out
00:13:10.39\00:13:12.62
of the event.
00:13:12.65\00:13:14.32
Owens followed Long's gracious
advice and went on to beat
00:13:14.36\00:13:18.43
the German for the gold medal,
00:13:18.46\00:13:20.10
deeply moved by
Long's gracious gesture.
00:13:20.13\00:13:24.37
So now, Owens had three gold
medals, a phenomenal result.
00:13:24.40\00:13:29.97
And he believed
his Olympics were over.
00:13:30.01\00:13:32.97
The only other event
he might have competed in
00:13:33.01\00:13:35.54
was the 4x100 meters relay,
00:13:35.58\00:13:37.91
but Owens was never
going to be on the relay team.
00:13:37.95\00:13:40.92
Frank Wykoff had won gold
as a member of the 4x100 meters
00:13:40.95\00:13:44.22
relay team in Amsterdam in
1928 and Los Angeles in 1932.
00:13:44.25\00:13:49.59
No doubt he'd be on the team,
then Ralph Metcalfe most likely.
00:13:49.62\00:13:54.46
Remember, Metcalfe
finished second behind Owens
00:13:54.50\00:13:57.23
in the final of the 100.
00:13:57.27\00:13:59.50
Then there'd be Marty
Glickman and Sam Stoller,
00:13:59.53\00:14:03.04
who traveled to
Berlin just to compete
00:14:03.07\00:14:05.64
in the 4x100 meters relay.
00:14:05.67\00:14:08.41
But when the team was announced,
00:14:08.44\00:14:10.38
Glickman and
Stoller were not named.
00:14:10.41\00:14:14.55
Now, why would that be?
00:14:14.58\00:14:16.32
It was said, so that
the very fastest runners
00:14:16.35\00:14:20.16
could give the United States
the best chance at victory.
00:14:20.19\00:14:23.66
Except that no
matter who they started,
00:14:23.69\00:14:26.49
the American athletes
were always going to obliterate
00:14:26.53\00:14:29.23
their opposition.
00:14:29.26\00:14:31.40
At the Berlin
Olympics, Hitler's Olympics,
00:14:31.43\00:14:34.57
an homage to the
National Socialist Party,
00:14:34.60\00:14:38.47
Marty Glickman and
Sam Stoller, both Jews,
00:14:38.51\00:14:43.41
were left out of the relay team.
00:14:43.45\00:14:46.18
The United States
set a world record.
00:14:46.21\00:14:48.28
Owens got his fourth
gold medal--and along with it
00:14:48.32\00:14:52.02
got to see American
discrimination at work
00:14:52.05\00:14:54.96
on both sides of
the Atlantic Ocean.
00:14:54.99\00:14:59.29
Now, what about Hitler's
famous snub of Jesse Owens?
00:14:59.33\00:15:03.63
Did it actually happen?
00:15:03.67\00:15:06.00
And what spiritual
lessons can we learn
00:15:06.03\00:15:08.07
from Jesse
Owens' ascent to the top
00:15:08.10\00:15:10.11
of the track-and-field world?
00:15:10.14\00:15:12.61
I'll have that in just a moment.
00:15:12.64\00:15:15.31
¤[music swells, then ends]¤¤
00:15:15.34\00:15:22.35
>>Announcer 1: The Bible
describes the Christian life
00:15:24.25\00:15:26.39
as "the race that
is set before us."
00:15:26.42\00:15:28.86
Give your kids the training they
need to run the race of life.
00:15:28.89\00:15:32.49
Our free offer today is
"Blueprints for Eternity,"
00:15:32.53\00:15:35.33
part of the children's My Place
With Jesus Bible study guides.
00:15:35.36\00:15:38.97
To receive
"Blueprints for Eternity,"
00:15:39.00\00:15:40.77
call 800-253-3000
00:15:40.80\00:15:43.54
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:15:43.57\00:15:47.31
Again, that
number is 800-253-3000
00:15:47.34\00:15:50.81
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:15:50.85\00:15:53.58
>>John Bradshaw: She's
known as "the immortal woman,"
00:15:54.58\00:15:57.89
and even though she died in
1951 at only 31 years of age,
00:15:57.92\00:16:02.42
Henrietta Lacks has had a
greater impact on human health
00:16:02.46\00:16:05.89
than practically any
other woman in history.
00:16:05.93\00:16:08.73
Most people have
never heard of her,
00:16:08.76\00:16:10.80
but she's contributed
to the study of diseases
00:16:10.83\00:16:13.27
such as polio, measles,
Ebola, and cancer in ways
00:16:13.30\00:16:17.77
that have changed the course
of medical science forever.
00:16:17.81\00:16:20.88
She was raised in a cabin
00:16:20.91\00:16:22.14
that at one time
was slaves' quarters,
00:16:22.18\00:16:24.18
and even though
she died 70 years ago,
00:16:24.21\00:16:26.65
a part of Henrietta
Lacks is still living
00:16:26.68\00:16:29.55
and making a difference today,
00:16:29.58\00:16:31.32
bringing hope and health
to people all over the world.
00:16:31.35\00:16:34.96
Join me for
"The Immortal Woman."
00:16:34.99\00:16:37.83
Hear the remarkable
story of Henrietta Lacks
00:16:37.86\00:16:41.46
and learn how you,
too, can live forever,
00:16:41.50\00:16:44.70
obtaining eternal
life through Jesus.
00:16:44.73\00:16:48.10
"The Immortal Woman,"
00:16:48.14\00:16:49.94
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:16:49.97\00:16:53.11
>>John: So, did Adolf
Hitler actually snub Jesse Owens
00:16:54.28\00:16:58.95
at the 1936 Olympics?
That's what's commonly stated.
00:16:58.98\00:17:03.12
I've said so
myself on this program,
00:17:03.15\00:17:06.82
but it might not have
been quite that simple.
00:17:06.86\00:17:09.86
Near the end of the
first day of competition,
00:17:09.89\00:17:11.73
Hitler chose to leave the
stadium a few minutes early,
00:17:11.76\00:17:15.36
meaning he didn't
congratulate Cornelius Johnson
00:17:15.40\00:17:17.77
and Dave Albritton,
African-American athletes
00:17:17.80\00:17:20.84
who finished first and
second in the high jump.
00:17:20.87\00:17:23.34
His reasons?
00:17:23.37\00:17:24.57
Well, officially, Hitler
wanted to beat the traffic.
00:17:24.61\00:17:29.84
You can believe
that if you wish.
00:17:29.88\00:17:31.98
The president of the
International Olympic Committee
00:17:32.01\00:17:33.85
was furious, and he insisted
that Hitler either congratulate
00:17:33.88\00:17:37.49
all of the athletes
or none of the athletes.
00:17:37.52\00:17:40.82
So Hitler chose option B.
00:17:40.86\00:17:44.13
In fact, according
to author Jeremy Schaap,
00:17:44.16\00:17:46.23
Owens was quoted as saying,
00:17:46.26\00:17:48.70
"Hitler didn't snub me--it was
our president who snubbed me.
00:17:48.73\00:17:53.40
The president"--that was
Franklin Delano Roosevelt--
00:17:53.44\00:17:56.64
"didn't even
send me a telegram."
00:17:56.67\00:17:59.67
Interesting
fact: Dave Albritton,
00:18:00.74\00:18:02.84
second in the high jump, he
grew up just a few miles away
00:18:02.88\00:18:07.18
from Owens in Alabama.
00:18:07.22\00:18:09.45
His family also
moved to Cleveland
00:18:09.48\00:18:11.42
in the Great Migration.
00:18:11.45\00:18:13.05
He and Owens went to
high school together,
00:18:13.09\00:18:15.39
to Ohio State together,
00:18:15.42\00:18:17.06
where they were
members of the same fraternity,
00:18:17.09\00:18:19.49
and to Berlin together,
where they both won medals.
00:18:19.53\00:18:23.50
After the Olympics, Albritton
became a high school teacher
00:18:23.53\00:18:26.20
and a coach.
00:18:26.23\00:18:27.37
He ran an insurance business
and was a six-term member
00:18:27.40\00:18:30.57
of the Ohio House
of Representatives.
00:18:30.61\00:18:32.84
According to the state
of Ohio, he tried to qualify
00:18:32.87\00:18:35.64
at the age of 36 for
the 1948 London Olympics.
00:18:35.68\00:18:40.68
Although he didn't
qualify, his best jump in 1948
00:18:40.72\00:18:45.02
would have been
good enough to win gold,
00:18:45.05\00:18:47.29
had he made it to London.
00:18:47.32\00:18:50.16
Jesse Owens
returned to the United States
00:18:50.19\00:18:52.29
with four gold medals
and a lot of promises,
00:18:52.33\00:18:55.80
which, for the most
part, never came to anything.
00:18:55.83\00:19:00.57
The big money offers Owens
received while he was in Berlin
00:19:00.60\00:19:04.64
simply never materialized.
They were publicity stunts.
00:19:04.67\00:19:09.38
America in those days
evidently preferred its heroes
00:19:09.41\00:19:12.58
to "stay in their lane."
00:19:12.61\00:19:15.12
Owens became an
attraction of sorts,
00:19:15.15\00:19:16.75
competing in novelty races,
00:19:16.79\00:19:19.22
but eventually he
earned a comfortable living.
00:19:19.25\00:19:21.99
He became a goodwill ambassador
00:19:22.02\00:19:23.53
for the United States government
00:19:23.56\00:19:25.19
and did endorsements
for numerous companies.
00:19:25.23\00:19:27.86
He even went into business with
his old rival Eulace Peacock.
00:19:27.93\00:19:32.87
But in order to get to Berlin,
Jesse Owens had to overcome
00:19:32.90\00:19:37.24
the myriad
circumstances in his early life
00:19:37.27\00:19:40.88
that conspired to keep
him from succeeding in life.
00:19:40.91\00:19:45.41
The barriers he had
to overcome were immense,
00:19:45.45\00:19:47.88
but overcome them he did.
00:19:47.92\00:19:50.85
He had natural talent, but
that talent had to be honed,
00:19:50.89\00:19:54.46
disciplined, and it took
copious amounts of character
00:19:54.49\00:19:58.69
for Owens to rise to the
top of the sporting world.
00:19:58.73\00:20:02.20
And he did so with an
incredible amount of dignity.
00:20:02.23\00:20:07.77
So what kind of future
are you supposed to have?
00:20:07.80\00:20:11.34
Oh, I don't mean,
"Could you grow up to become
00:20:11.37\00:20:13.38
"the president of
the United States,
00:20:13.41\00:20:14.58
or, or, or do you have
what it takes to go to college?"
00:20:14.61\00:20:17.91
I think by now every
person knows that inside them
00:20:17.95\00:20:20.82
is incredible
potential, that when harnessed
00:20:20.85\00:20:23.52
could do an immense
amount of good in this world.
00:20:23.55\00:20:26.55
I want to look at this with you
from a spiritual point of view.
00:20:26.59\00:20:31.16
The Bible says that you
have an enemy, an adversary,
00:20:31.19\00:20:34.86
who "walks about
like a roaring lion,
00:20:34.93\00:20:38.60
seeking whom he may devour."
00:20:38.63\00:20:40.27
You find that in 1
Peter 5 in verse 8.
00:20:40.30\00:20:43.41
The book of Revelation speaks of
"the accuser of our brethren."
00:20:43.44\00:20:47.48
That's Satan. He's an accuser.
00:20:47.51\00:20:51.81
He's the one who says that
you'll never amount to anything.
00:20:51.85\00:20:55.25
It's the devil who says you
can't overcome your weaknesses,
00:20:55.28\00:20:58.55
that you're doomed to
live a life of defeat and sin.
00:20:58.59\00:21:02.16
But nothing could be
further from the truth.
00:21:03.12\00:21:08.26
There's a fascinating exchange
found in the book of Zechariah.
00:21:08.30\00:21:12.37
Chapter 3 starts like this:
00:21:12.40\00:21:15.34
"Then he showed me
Joshua the high priest
00:21:15.37\00:21:17.64
"standing before
the Angel of the Lord,
00:21:17.67\00:21:20.31
and Satan standing at his
right hand to oppose him"--
00:21:20.34\00:21:23.81
or to accuse him.
00:21:23.85\00:21:25.55
So this is a picture of a sinner
00:21:25.58\00:21:27.75
and the devil accusing
that sinner of not being worthy
00:21:27.78\00:21:31.72
of God's grace and mercy.
00:21:31.75\00:21:34.42
Verse 2:
00:21:34.46\00:21:35.62
"And the Lord said to Satan,
'The Lord rebuke you, Satan!
00:21:35.66\00:21:39.96
"'The Lord who has
chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!
00:21:40.00\00:21:43.37
Is this not a brand
plucked from the fire?'"
00:21:43.40\00:21:47.04
The Bible says every
last person alive has sinned
00:21:47.07\00:21:51.84
and that "the
wages of sin is death."
00:21:51.87\00:21:55.04
So when Satan speaks up
and says you're not worthy
00:21:55.08\00:21:57.81
of the grace of
God, he'd be right,
00:21:57.85\00:22:00.75
except that Jesus died
on the cross to redeem you,
00:22:00.78\00:22:06.25
to make you His own.
Therefore, Satan is wrong.
00:22:06.29\00:22:10.83
You shouldn't have a
spiritual future, but you do.
00:22:10.86\00:22:15.16
You've been redeemed.
00:22:15.20\00:22:18.47
The passage goes on to
say that "Joshua was clothed
00:22:18.50\00:22:21.17
[in] filthy
garments," which represents sin,
00:22:21.20\00:22:24.67
and that God removed Joshua's
filthy clothing and clothed him
00:22:24.71\00:22:29.28
with clean, spotless clothing,
00:22:29.31\00:22:31.71
representing the
righteousness of Jesus.
00:22:31.75\00:22:35.48
See that?
00:22:35.52\00:22:36.69
God takes away your sin and
gives you His righteousness.
00:22:36.72\00:22:42.72
So now what does
your future look like?
00:22:42.76\00:22:47.03
Jesse Owens was born into
a life that guaranteed him
00:22:47.03\00:22:50.00
hardship and discrimination,
00:22:50.03\00:22:52.13
into circumstances designed to
keep opportunity away from him.
00:22:52.17\00:22:56.81
But his family prayed and moved,
00:22:56.84\00:22:59.84
and his gifts were
recognized and developed,
00:22:59.87\00:23:02.61
and doors opened, and
eventually he traveled the world
00:23:02.64\00:23:05.68
representing his country as both
an athlete and an ambassador.
00:23:05.71\00:23:10.49
He lived through some
extremely challenging days,
00:23:10.52\00:23:14.16
and he saw change come.
00:23:14.19\00:23:16.73
He was part of that change.
00:23:16.76\00:23:19.73
You know what your
potential is, don't you?
00:23:19.76\00:23:22.03
Your potential
is everlasting life,
00:23:22.06\00:23:25.67
salvation,
redemption, transformation.
00:23:25.70\00:23:30.47
Everywhere you turn
there are voices telling you
00:23:30.51\00:23:32.21
that you can't do it,
that you're not worthy.
00:23:32.24\00:23:35.41
But the cross of Jesus
tells you that you are worthy
00:23:35.44\00:23:38.35
of the love and grace of God,
00:23:38.38\00:23:40.82
because "God so loved
the world, that He gave
00:23:40.85\00:23:43.45
"His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him
00:23:43.49\00:23:47.46
should not perish, but
have everlasting life."
00:23:47.49\00:23:51.36
John 3:16.
00:23:51.39\00:23:54.10
That's what God sees for you.
00:23:54.13\00:23:57.47
If you can't see it,
believe it; believe it by faith.
00:23:57.50\00:24:02.74
Would you accept God's offer
of everlasting life right now?
00:24:02.77\00:24:06.81
If you've never done
so, there's no need to wait.
00:24:06.84\00:24:11.15
Don't believe the accuser.
00:24:11.18\00:24:13.11
Don't believe
the, the inner voices,
00:24:13.15\00:24:15.52
that self-condemnation
telling you failed so many times
00:24:15.55\00:24:18.82
that you're not good enough.
00:24:18.85\00:24:20.89
Instead, listen to the voice
of Jesus, the One who says,
00:24:20.92\00:24:27.10
"The one who comes to me I
will by no means cast out."
00:24:27.13\00:24:32.13
The Bible declares that you "can
do all things through Christ
00:24:32.17\00:24:34.94
who strengthens [you],"
00:24:34.97\00:24:36.67
and that God will work
"in you both to will and to do
00:24:36.71\00:24:41.28
for His good pleasure."
00:24:41.31\00:24:43.28
Don't let the
enemy hold you back.
00:24:43.31\00:24:45.58
God has created
you for great things,
00:24:45.61\00:24:48.95
and when you invite
Him into your heart,
00:24:48.98\00:24:51.25
you begin to realize
the plans God has for you
00:24:51.29\00:24:53.86
to achieve eternal greatness.
00:24:53.89\00:24:56.49
You might see humble beginnings,
difficult circumstances,
00:24:56.52\00:25:01.13
but God sees victory for
you as you run the race of life.
00:25:01.16\00:25:08.47
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:25:08.50\00:25:09.50
¤[upbeat music]¤
00:25:10.34\00:25:12.64
>>Announcer 2: Planning
for your financial future
00:25:12.67\00:25:14.21
is a vital aspect of
Christian stewardship.
00:25:14.24\00:25:18.15
For this reason, It Is
Written is pleased to offer
00:25:18.18\00:25:20.88
free planned giving
and estate services.
00:25:20.92\00:25:23.49
For information on
how we can help you,
00:25:23.52\00:25:25.99
please call 800-992-2219.
00:25:26.02\00:25:30.83
Call today or visit our website:
00:25:30.86\00:25:33.09
hislegacy.com.
00:25:33.13\00:25:35.16
Call 800-992-2219.
00:25:35.20\00:25:38.80
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:25:38.83\00:25:39.83
>>John Bradshaw: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:25:40.90\00:25:42.87
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:25:42.90\00:25:46.24
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:25:46.27\00:25:49.48
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:25:49.51\00:25:53.72
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:25:53.75\00:25:55.22
to the address on your screen,
00:25:55.25\00:25:56.69
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:25:56.72\00:26:00.52
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:00.56\00:26:03.36
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:03.39\00:26:07.50
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:07.56\00:26:10.63
>>John: Let me
pray with you now.
00:26:11.47\00:26:13.20
Our Father in heaven, we
thank You today for Jesus.
00:26:13.23\00:26:15.64
We thank You that
through His death on the cross
00:26:15.67\00:26:18.27
we have a bright
and eternal future.
00:26:18.31\00:26:22.88
I'm grateful today, dear Lord,
00:26:22.91\00:26:24.15
that we do not need to
look at our own limitations
00:26:24.18\00:26:26.48
and believe that they
restrict us from heaven.
00:26:26.51\00:26:29.85
We do not need to look at our
own failings and shortcomings
00:26:29.88\00:26:32.95
and believe that they
keep us from Your blessing.
00:26:32.99\00:26:36.52
We thank You that through
the presence of the Holy Spirit,
00:26:36.56\00:26:40.10
every life can be transformed
00:26:40.13\00:26:42.86
and every heart
might be made new.
00:26:42.90\00:26:46.30
Let me ask you, friend:
How is it with you today?
00:26:46.33\00:26:48.87
We've looked at the
story of somebody who was born
00:26:48.90\00:26:51.04
into circumstances that
should have prevented him
00:26:51.07\00:26:54.61
from achieving anything at all,
00:26:54.64\00:26:56.61
and yet he
couldn't be held back.
00:26:56.64\00:26:58.61
How is it with you spiritually?
00:26:58.65\00:27:00.68
What's holding you back?
00:27:00.72\00:27:02.88
Nothing needs to, if you
would yield your heart to Jesus.
00:27:02.92\00:27:06.89
Invite God to be
the God of your life.
00:27:06.92\00:27:09.92
You can know that He
will give you a new heart,
00:27:09.96\00:27:12.03
take away your sin,
00:27:12.06\00:27:13.63
and give you an eternal
future and everlasting life.
00:27:13.66\00:27:18.23
Would you claim that,
friend? Would you do so now?
00:27:18.27\00:27:20.94
Would you say, "God, I accept
Jesus as my Lord and Savior
00:27:20.97\00:27:24.41
and I believe that You, the God
of heaven, are truly my God"?
00:27:24.44\00:27:28.78
We thank You, heavenly Father,
that as we run the race of life,
00:27:28.81\00:27:32.21
we look towards the finish line
00:27:32.25\00:27:34.08
knowing Jesus is soon to return,
00:27:34.12\00:27:36.35
knowing eternity
stretches before us.
00:27:36.38\00:27:39.19
We face our future
in hope and confidence,
00:27:39.22\00:27:43.79
for Jesus has died for us.
00:27:43.83\00:27:46.86
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
00:27:46.90\00:27:50.47
Thank you so
much for joining me.
00:27:50.50\00:27:52.03
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:52.07\00:27:54.44
Until then, remember:
00:27:54.47\00:27:56.20
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:56.24\00:28:00.31
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:28:00.34\00:28:04.81
¤[dramatic theme music]¤
00:28:04.85\00:28:09.85
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:28:25.83\00:28:27.84