¤[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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If you go to a live performance
at your local theater,
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you'll see a live
orchestra, a musician, maybe,
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a team of gymnasts, or a
troupe of Shakespearean actors,
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something along those lines.
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But if you were alive
in the 1840s and sitting
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in the audience at a theater,
you might have heard something
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a bit different.
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You might have heard
a mysterious knocking.
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[reverberating knocking
sound, audience murmurs]
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When the show began, you
would have seen two young girls,
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Maggie and Kate Fox.
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You'd have heard them speaking
to and asking questions of...
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no one, it seemed.
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Then you would have
felt the silence in the room.
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¤[foreboding music]¤
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You'd have seen members of
the audience leaning forward
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in their seats. Maybe you,
too, would have leaned forward,
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waiting for something to happen.
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Then you would have
heard what you came to hear:
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[rapping sounds] rappings
on the floor or the furniture,
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sounds of knocking that didn't
appear to come from anywhere,
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that frankly
seemed otherworldly,
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that spelled out messages,
or sometimes even rapped
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in the rhythm of
well-known tunes of the time.
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What were these knockings?
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The Fox sisters
claimed they were spirits.
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¤[spooky music]¤
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The story of the Fox sisters
begins in Hydesville, New York,
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where Maggie and Kate Fox
lived as girls in a small home
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with their parents.
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The home, they
claimed, was haunted,
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and the girls often
heard knockings on the walls.
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They began to invite
people over to the house
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to demonstrate
what was happening.
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As they did this, the
girls began to gain notoriety.
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Eventually they were
invited to another home
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to see if the knockings
would happen in other places.
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They did! Or at
least they seemed to.
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Then the girls began to
perform in halls and theaters.
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Their popularity
exploded, and Maggie and Kate
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were then joined by
their older sister, Leah.
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They took to the road,
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performing in cities
all over the United States.
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Everywhere they stopped
their séances drew people
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from all walks of life.
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Why were people so
enticed by the knocking sounds?
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Well, that's because
what the Fox sisters offered
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was more than just a
mere night's entertainment.
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It was, they claimed, a glimpse,
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an open door to the other side.
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Add to that the fact
that the communications
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the sisters claimed to receive
from the spirits of the dead
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often offered
hope about the times.
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Surely, the combination
of such encouraging messages,
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the intrigue of
the supernatural,
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and the ability to communicate
with those who had died
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sparked the
interest of a generation.
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And it was the Fox
sisters' performances,
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more than anything else,
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that galvanized what
one historian has called
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"one of the
greatest religious movements
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of the 19th century":
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American spiritualism.
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This movement went beyond spirit
rappings and séances, though.
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Another popular attraction
at the time was mesmerism.
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Mesmerism had been
popular in the United States
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since the 1830s
when Charles Poyen,
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a Frenchman who practiced
animal magnetism, or mesmerism,
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traveled to New
England and began to give talks
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about his ability to heal
illnesses by mesmerizing people,
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a practice initiated by
a man named Anton Mesmer.
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Poyen could, he
claimed, put his patients
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in a sleep-like
state or a trance and then
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make magnetic passes
over the body with his hands.
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These actions he and
others believed would rebalance
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the magnetic forces that some
scientists of the time thought
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were in the body.
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Like the Fox
sisters did later on,
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Poyen traveled
around the United States
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giving
demonstrations of mesmerism.
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And other mesmerists
rose up to do the same.
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Beyond the supposed powers
of healing that practitioners
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of mesmerism said their
art could bring to people,
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they also boasted
that mesmerism allowed them
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to access people's minds
and could enable individuals
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to act as mediums for spirits.
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The stories of Charles Poyen
and the Fox sisters show us
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that spiritualism had its
big introduction and its heyday
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in the United
States in the 19th century.
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But it's important to
note that it's nothing new.
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In fact, it's been
around since Bible times.
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First Samuel 28 tells
the story of King Saul
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consulting a medium. It
happened after he realized
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that the Philistine army
was gathering to attack Israel,
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and no matter how much
he prayed and asked for help
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from prophets, the Lord God
would not give him an answer.
00:05:07.37\00:05:10.64
In his desperation he
went to see a witch in a place
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called Endor, asking her to
raise up the prophet Samuel,
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who had died, so that
Samuel could give Saul advice.
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The visit did not end
up helping Saul, though.
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He just received the
message he'd already received,
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that God had taken
his kingdom from him,
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and it would be given to David.
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Shortly after this
meeting, Saul died in battle,
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and everything happened
as the Lord said it would.
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The long shadow of spiritualism
reaches into more modern times
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as well. It's well
known, for example,
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that former first lady
Nancy Reagan sought the advice
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of an astrologer
named Joan Quigley
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throughout her husband
Ronald Reagan's presidency
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in the 1980s.
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And today we only need to
look to popular television
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to see the
influence of spiritualism
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on our culture.
[static noise and growling]
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You can think of
numerous television programs
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which include spells
and witchcraft and sorcery,
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communication with
the dead, and so on.
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In fact, in the 21st century,
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spiritualism has become even
more brazen than ever before,
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with television
programs even discussing Satan
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as a character, making him
sympathetic to his viewers.
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But what does God
say about all of this?
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About participating in
séances, consulting mediums,
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or being involved
with witchcraft in any way?
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The Bible's very
clear about these practices.
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In Leviticus 19:31, God says,
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"Give no regard to
mediums and familiar spirits;
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do not seek after
them, to be defiled by them."
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Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says,
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"There shall not be found among
you anyone who makes his son
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"or his daughter
pass through the fire,
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"or one who practices
witchcraft, or a soothsayer,
00:07:01.62\00:07:04.85
"or one who
interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
00:07:04.89\00:07:07.82
"or one who conjures spells,
or a medium, or a spiritist,
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"or one who calls up the dead.
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For all who do these things
are an abomination to the Lord."
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And in the New Testament,
Paul declares in Galatians,
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chapter 5, that "those who
practice [idolatry and sorcery]
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will not inherit
the kingdom of God."
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In accordance with
what the Bible says,
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we should avoid séances
and witchcraft because we know
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that if we do these things, we
would be dancing with the devil.
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But did you know
there are more subtle forms
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of spiritualism that are all
around us in this day and age?
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And those things
should be avoided, too.
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We'll talk about those when
we come back in just a moment.
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¤[music swells and ends]¤¤
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>>Announcer:
Spiritualism, witchcraft,
00:07:59.77\00:08:01.88
and communication with the
dead have become mainstream
00:08:01.91\00:08:04.88
in today's society.
00:08:04.91\00:08:06.48
What does the Bible
teach us about these topics?
00:08:06.51\00:08:09.58
Our free offer today is
"Charmed by the Supernatural."
00:08:09.62\00:08:13.02
To receive this free DVD,
00:08:13.05\00:08:14.56
call 800-253-3000
00:08:14.59\00:08:17.39
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:08:17.43\00:08:21.03
Know what the Bible
says about the supernatural.
00:08:21.06\00:08:23.90
Call 800-253-3000
00:08:23.93\00:08:26.80
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:08:26.84\00:08:29.50
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
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Going to see a clairvoyant
or consulting a Ouija board
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are obvious, in-your-face
forms of spiritualism.
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But there are
plenty of practices today
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that may seem harmless
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but are actually
spiritualistic in nature.
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Some of these even Christians
practice with the justification
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that they can
bring one closer to God.
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Among these practices are
the use of crystals for healing
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and yoga for
exercise and meditation.
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I spoke with a young woman
raised in the Santería religion.
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Really, that's voodoo.
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And I asked her about her
experiences and her insights
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into the occult.
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So, tell me, in your experience,
the occult is very real.
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You were involved as a younger
person in, in Santería, which,
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it's called voodoo in Haiti,
so that's very much witchcraft.
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What were the sorts of
experiences that you had?
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>>Tammy: So, I
was baptized into it.
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The, the way that
it was practiced, um,
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in my family was
considered white magic.
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Um, and so it was for
protection or for, uh,
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trying to gain things.
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Um, I had a lot of
demonic presence around me.
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At the time I didn't know
they were demonic presence,
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most of the time. But
I saw a lot of shadows.
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I had encounters with Satan.
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I had encounters with, um, uh,
just, just general tormenting.
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>>John: If I
understand your story correctly,
00:10:00.20\00:10:01.46
there was somebody who
for years stood at the end
00:10:01.50\00:10:05.13
of your bed while you slept.
00:10:05.17\00:10:06.80
>>Tammy: Very faithfully.
00:10:06.84\00:10:07.94
>>John: When I say "somebody,"
this wasn't a somebody;
00:10:07.97\00:10:09.87
this was
a--well, it was a demon.
00:10:09.90\00:10:11.67
>>Tammy: Yes, it was.
00:10:11.71\00:10:12.94
>>John: And, and did you feel
protected while the, while the,
00:10:12.97\00:10:14.74
this demonic presence was there?
00:10:14.78\00:10:16.21
>>Tammy: I was told that
he was there to protect me,
00:10:16.24\00:10:19.55
but never have I
ever felt protected.
00:10:19.58\00:10:21.38
As a matter of fact, I slept
with the sheets over my head.
00:10:21.42\00:10:25.35
[laughs] Because I
was so scared of him.
00:10:25.39\00:10:28.19
>>John: Is there such
a thing as white magic?
00:10:28.22\00:10:30.39
>>Tammy: I don't believe so.
00:10:30.43\00:10:31.63
I think all magic
is tied in with Satan.
00:10:31.66\00:10:34.46
Um, the devil has his
hand in all of those things
00:10:34.50\00:10:37.13
when you read the Bible.
00:10:37.17\00:10:38.70
There's no way that you can
make something that's evil good.
00:10:38.73\00:10:41.77
>>John: So as somebody who was
deeply involved in the occult,
00:10:41.80\00:10:48.04
do you see evidence of it
around you in society today?
00:10:48.08\00:10:51.31
>>Tammy:
Everywhere. I see it in music;
00:10:51.35\00:10:52.95
I see it in movies--
>>John: See it in movies.
00:10:52.98\00:10:54.65
>>Tammy:
...cartoons. >>John: Cartoons.
00:10:54.68\00:10:55.88
>>Tammy: I see it in, in
toys. I see it in, uh, books.
00:10:55.92\00:11:00.22
It's everywhere now.
00:11:00.26\00:11:01.66
>>John: Does it
matter that it's everywhere?
00:11:01.69\00:11:03.16
I mean, can't somebody
just read a book about something
00:11:03.19\00:11:05.99
or watch a movie about something
and it's just entertainment?
00:11:06.03\00:11:08.90
Can't you just
pass it off as that?
00:11:08.93\00:11:11.13
>>Tammy: Can you play with a
porcupine without getting stung?
00:11:11.17\00:11:14.27
I don't think that
anything that involves Satan
00:11:14.30\00:11:17.84
and that has nothing to do
with God can be good for you.
00:11:17.87\00:11:22.54
>>John: I think it's important
to remember that even if
00:11:22.58\00:11:24.28
the person playing with
the toy or watching the movie
00:11:24.31\00:11:26.82
doesn't have an
agenda, the devil does.
00:11:26.85\00:11:29.82
>>Tammy: He does.
00:11:29.85\00:11:31.15
And he'll paint it in
this glittery picture.
00:11:31.19\00:11:33.46
He'll paint it in so colorful.
00:11:33.49\00:11:34.89
He'll paint it in
princesses and flowers and toys
00:11:34.92\00:11:38.16
and, and things that seem good,
but there is, uh, an agenda,
00:11:38.19\00:11:42.03
and the agenda is the mind.
00:11:42.06\00:11:43.80
>>John: What do you
think is the effect on people
00:11:43.83\00:11:45.90
when they see
musicians and music videos
00:11:45.93\00:11:49.20
very openly
glorifying the devil,
00:11:49.24\00:11:51.71
or actors in
television programs or cartoons,
00:11:51.74\00:11:55.41
what do you think
the effect is on people,
00:11:55.44\00:11:57.41
and particularly young people,
00:11:57.45\00:11:58.98
when they see
this being normalized?
00:11:59.01\00:12:01.72
>>Tammy: Well, if
you look now at teens,
00:12:01.75\00:12:03.79
there's a lot of
behavioral issues.
00:12:03.82\00:12:05.75
There's a lot of
depression and a lot of suicide.
00:12:05.79\00:12:08.66
I know that it has
a direct correlation,
00:12:08.69\00:12:10.93
especially when the lyrics
are talking about suicide,
00:12:10.96\00:12:14.46
are talking about being an
addict and glorifying living
00:12:14.46\00:12:18.50
in a lifestyle that does
not produce happiness or joy
00:12:18.53\00:12:22.00
or peace at all.
00:12:22.04\00:12:23.54
>>John: You came to the
place where you wanted to be
00:12:23.57\00:12:25.24
out of there. Were you
able just to walk out the door,
00:12:25.27\00:12:28.98
shut the door, and walk away?
00:12:29.01\00:12:30.41
Or was it a little
more complicated than that?
00:12:30.45\00:12:32.05
>>Tammy: It was
extremely complicated.
00:12:32.08\00:12:33.82
Um, Satan never wants to
let go of anyone that he has.
00:12:33.85\00:12:37.12
He doesn't want to give
or allow people to experience
00:12:37.15\00:12:40.42
what he has lost. So, once I
decided to become a Christian
00:12:40.46\00:12:45.39
or started to even just look
at it, I was tormented at night.
00:12:45.43\00:12:50.73
I was torment--I
couldn't sleep at night.
00:12:50.77\00:12:53.34
There were days
where I'd be driving,
00:12:53.37\00:12:55.94
and I would experience
out-of-body experiences
00:12:55.97\00:13:00.21
where I would see myself, you
know, either going off a bridge
00:13:00.24\00:13:03.65
or having a car accident,
uh, almost dying or dying.
00:13:03.68\00:13:07.52
I knew Satan was out to get
me, um, after I left the occult.
00:13:07.55\00:13:12.22
>>John: And when
you're going through that,
00:13:12.25\00:13:13.36
did you ever think to
yourself, "Well, wait a minute,
00:13:13.39\00:13:14.86
maybe I ought to
stay back on that side"?
00:13:14.89\00:13:16.86
>>Tammy: No, 'cause when
you compare Satan to Jesus,
00:13:16.89\00:13:19.79
it, it's incomparable.
00:13:19.83\00:13:21.56
I don't know how I
knew that Jesus was the One
00:13:21.60\00:13:25.07
that could save. I just
knew that He was what I wanted.
00:13:25.10\00:13:28.07
He had the answer for me.
00:13:28.10\00:13:29.80
And if I could just reach it,
like the woman with the issue
00:13:29.84\00:13:33.07
of blood, you could just
touch the hem of the garment,
00:13:33.11\00:13:36.14
you can experience
that freedom. And I did.
00:13:36.18\00:13:39.65
>>John: And you're free.
00:13:39.68\00:13:40.65
>>Tammy: I'm free.
00:13:40.68\00:13:41.85
>>John: Does thinking back
on that life--is it traumatic?
00:13:41.88\00:13:44.05
Does it leave you feeling icky,
or, or can you just go forward
00:13:44.09\00:13:47.62
now and say, "Hey,
I'm free, and it's okay"?
00:13:47.66\00:13:49.72
>>Tammy: When I look back,
um, it does get a little hard.
00:13:49.76\00:13:53.56
Um, Satan will, he
likes to bring up memories,
00:13:53.60\00:13:57.53
and it, it does, it
does feel uncomfortable,
00:13:57.57\00:13:59.60
but the Bible says that,
uh, if we invite in Christ,
00:13:59.63\00:14:04.14
that He will abide in us.
00:14:04.17\00:14:06.07
And as long as I'm
staying connected with Him,
00:14:06.11\00:14:09.81
with Jesus...
00:14:09.84\00:14:12.58
as long as I'm reading my Bible,
00:14:12.61\00:14:14.58
as long as I'm
surrendering my will to Him,
00:14:14.62\00:14:17.19
as long as I am letting
go of sins, I have peace.
00:14:17.22\00:14:23.06
I have joy. I have freedom.
00:14:23.09\00:14:25.79
When I was first coming
out, I didn't have the answers.
00:14:25.83\00:14:29.13
All I had was the name of Jesus.
00:14:29.16\00:14:31.97
And just in His name
alone, there's power.
00:14:32.00\00:14:36.64
So even if you, you
don't have a knowledge,
00:14:36.67\00:14:38.91
you don't have the resources,
you don't have anything else,
00:14:38.94\00:14:41.81
just call on the name of
Jesus, and He will show up,
00:14:41.84\00:14:44.91
and He will lead
you, He will guide you,
00:14:44.95\00:14:46.75
and that's what He did for me.
00:14:46.78\00:14:48.45
>>John: Isaiah 8:19 asks
us, "When they say to you,
00:14:49.12\00:14:53.52
"'Seek those who
are mediums and wizards,
00:14:53.56\00:14:56.29
"who whisper and mutter,' should
not a people seek their God?
00:14:56.32\00:15:01.13
Should they seek the
dead on behalf of the living?"
00:15:01.16\00:15:04.93
The Bible, in classic fashion,
answers its own question
00:15:04.97\00:15:08.84
pretty directly: "To the
law and to the testimony!
00:15:08.87\00:15:12.64
"If they do not speak
according to this word,
00:15:12.67\00:15:15.21
it is because there
is no light in them."
00:15:15.24\00:15:19.08
That's Isaiah 8 and verse 20.
00:15:19.11\00:15:21.92
God's Word is a litmus
test of light and darkness,
00:15:21.95\00:15:25.85
truth and error, good and evil.
00:15:25.89\00:15:29.32
In just a moment we're going
to turn to the Bible to look
00:15:29.36\00:15:32.16
at a story about a people who
were trying to follow the God
00:15:32.19\00:15:35.33
who had saved them from bondage,
00:15:35.36\00:15:37.63
but who in their fear
and doubt lost their way
00:15:37.67\00:15:40.57
by making and
worshiping a god of gold,
00:15:40.60\00:15:44.21
a god which ultimately had
zero power to heal or save them.
00:15:44.24\00:15:49.31
I'll be right back.
00:15:49.34\00:15:50.48
¤[music swells and ends]¤¤
00:15:50.51\00:15:57.52
>>Announcer:
Spiritualism, witchcraft,
00:15:59.65\00:16:01.42
and communication with the
dead have become mainstream
00:16:01.46\00:16:04.66
in today's society.
00:16:04.69\00:16:06.26
What does the Bible
teach us about these topics?
00:16:06.29\00:16:09.33
Our free offer today is
"Charmed by the Supernatural."
00:16:09.36\00:16:12.77
To receive this free DVD,
00:16:12.80\00:16:14.27
call 800-253-3000
00:16:14.30\00:16:17.21
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:16:17.24\00:16:20.71
Know what the Bible
says about the supernatural.
00:16:20.74\00:16:23.71
Call 800-253-3000
00:16:23.75\00:16:26.55
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:16:26.58\00:16:29.25
>>John Bradshaw: He had
it all: extravagant wealth,
00:16:30.52\00:16:33.89
immense power, and wisdom
far greater than any person
00:16:33.92\00:16:37.76
before him. He'd
seen the glory of God,
00:16:37.79\00:16:40.80
had spoken personally
with God, and was told by God
00:16:40.83\00:16:44.10
he could have
anything he wanted.
00:16:44.13\00:16:46.20
But as his focus shifted
over time, his life collapsed.
00:16:46.23\00:16:51.01
As he
contemplated his existence,
00:16:51.04\00:16:52.67
he concluded
that all was vanity.
00:16:52.71\00:16:56.31
Don't miss "Great Characters
of the Bible: Solomon"
00:16:56.34\00:17:00.22
as we look at the story of
the wisest man who ever lived,
00:17:00.25\00:17:03.69
a man who wrote
three books of the Bible,
00:17:03.72\00:17:05.92
a man who was
revered by monarchs
00:17:05.95\00:17:07.72
and feared by his
enemies, the man who constructed
00:17:07.76\00:17:10.89
what may have been the most
beautiful temple every built,
00:17:10.93\00:17:13.73
and yet turned away
from faithfulness to God.
00:17:13.76\00:17:16.93
But God didn't turn from him.
00:17:16.97\00:17:18.97
The story of Solomon is
a tragedy and a victory.
00:17:19.00\00:17:22.44
Don't miss "Great Characters
of the Bible: Solomon,"
00:17:22.47\00:17:26.17
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:17:26.21\00:17:28.84
>>John Bradshaw: To learn
more about how God sees the use
00:17:30.68\00:17:32.68
of inanimate objects for the
purpose of healing or salvation,
00:17:32.71\00:17:36.35
we're going to look at
the story of the golden calf.
00:17:36.38\00:17:39.65
The story takes place
when the children of Israel
00:17:39.69\00:17:41.92
are at the foot of Mount Sinai
waiting for Moses to return
00:17:41.96\00:17:45.43
from talking with God
and receiving His law.
00:17:45.46\00:17:49.56
But its true beginning is
in Egypt before the Israelites
00:17:49.60\00:17:53.20
were set free, before
they crossed the Red Sea
00:17:53.23\00:17:56.50
on dry ground, before they
journeyed into the wilderness.
00:17:56.54\00:18:00.88
Having lived for
generations among the Egyptians,
00:18:00.91\00:18:03.48
the Israelites
had become accustomed
00:18:03.51\00:18:05.55
to Egyptian traditions.
00:18:05.58\00:18:07.15
They'd witnessed Egyptian
rituals and become familiar
00:18:07.18\00:18:09.92
with the gods whom
the Egyptians worshiped.
00:18:09.95\00:18:13.12
On the day they
marched out of Egypt,
00:18:13.15\00:18:15.02
they not only carried
with them their belongings
00:18:15.06\00:18:17.66
and the golden spoils handed
over to them by their captors,
00:18:17.69\00:18:21.23
but also the mental
and emotional baggage
00:18:21.26\00:18:24.73
of 400 years of
living in a pagan nation.
00:18:24.77\00:18:28.20
As time in the
wilderness would show,
00:18:28.24\00:18:30.11
it was that baggage that
was the heaviest of everything
00:18:30.14\00:18:34.01
they were carrying--and
the most challenging
00:18:34.04\00:18:36.91
to free themselves
from. It's a well-known story.
00:18:36.95\00:18:40.92
As they journeyed
deeper into the desert,
00:18:40.95\00:18:43.82
they gave way to doubt,
allowing their circumstances
00:18:43.85\00:18:47.09
to dictate their
attitudes towards Moses
00:18:47.12\00:18:50.23
and ultimately God Himself.
00:18:50.26\00:18:52.26
They complained at every turn.
00:18:52.29\00:18:55.00
They didn't have water. God
gave it to them from a rock.
00:18:55.03\00:18:58.13
They didn't have food.
00:18:58.17\00:18:59.53
God rained manna
from heaven to feed them.
00:18:59.57\00:19:02.74
They got tired of the
manna. God gave them quail.
00:19:02.77\00:19:06.14
They became sick from eating it.
00:19:06.17\00:19:08.31
Really, their lack
wasn't food and water;
00:19:08.34\00:19:12.01
it was trust in God to
lead them, to save them.
00:19:12.05\00:19:16.28
And this became all too apparent
00:19:16.32\00:19:17.82
when God called Moses to
speak with Him on Mount Sinai.
00:19:17.85\00:19:22.02
Despite the fact they'd
already witnessed God's presence
00:19:22.06\00:19:24.63
in their midst through
the pillar of cloud and fire
00:19:24.66\00:19:27.40
that traveled
with them out of Egypt,
00:19:27.46\00:19:29.43
Exodus 20, verse 18 relates,
00:19:29.46\00:19:31.70
"Now all the people
witnessed the thunderings,
00:19:31.73\00:19:34.24
"the lightning flashes,
the sound of the trumpet,
00:19:34.27\00:19:37.01
"and the mountain
smoking; and when [they] saw it,
00:19:37.04\00:19:40.38
they trembled and stood
afar off," even though barriers
00:19:40.41\00:19:43.91
had already been put
between them and the mountain.
00:19:43.95\00:19:47.42
While Moses was
talking with God and receiving
00:19:47.45\00:19:50.25
the Ten Commandments and
instructions on how to build
00:19:50.29\00:19:53.02
the tabernacle, the people
down below were terrified.
00:19:53.05\00:19:57.79
And the longer Moses was away,
the more anxious they became.
00:19:57.83\00:20:02.66
Exodus 32, verse 1:
"Now when the people saw
00:20:02.70\00:20:05.93
"that Moses delayed
coming down from the mountain,
00:20:05.97\00:20:09.30
"the people gathered together
to Aaron, and said to him,
00:20:09.34\00:20:12.71
"'Come, make us gods
that shall go before us;
00:20:12.74\00:20:16.68
"'for as for this Moses,
the man who brought us up
00:20:16.71\00:20:19.45
"'out of the land of Egypt,
00:20:19.48\00:20:21.38
we do not know what
has become of him.'"
00:20:21.42\00:20:23.62
Incredibly, Aaron
did as they requested.
00:20:23.65\00:20:27.22
He instructed them to bring the
gold they brought out of Egypt.
00:20:27.26\00:20:30.63
When they did, the
Bible tells us that Aaron
00:20:30.66\00:20:33.56
"received the gold from
their hand, and he fashioned it
00:20:33.60\00:20:37.13
with an engraving tool,
and made a molded calf."
00:20:37.17\00:20:41.27
The next day the people
gathered to worship the calf
00:20:41.30\00:20:44.84
and make sacrifices to it.
00:20:44.87\00:20:46.57
Seeing their sin,
God said to Moses,
00:20:46.61\00:20:48.84
"Go, get down! For
your people whom you brought
00:20:48.88\00:20:52.55
"out of the land of Egypt
have corrupted themselves.
00:20:52.58\00:20:55.92
"They have turned
aside quickly out of the way
00:20:55.95\00:20:58.12
"which I commanded them.
They have made themselves
00:20:58.15\00:21:01.02
"a molded calf, and worshiped
it and sacrificed to it....
00:21:01.06\00:21:04.73
"I have seen this people,
00:21:04.76\00:21:05.99
"and indeed it is a
stiff-necked people!
00:21:06.03\00:21:09.16
"Now therefore, let me alone,
that my wrath may burn hot
00:21:09.20\00:21:12.70
against them and
I may consume them."
00:21:12.73\00:21:15.70
God could have wiped the
Israelites out then and there.
00:21:15.74\00:21:21.44
But Moses pleaded with
the Lord, and God relented.
00:21:21.48\00:21:26.15
Yet Moses was angry, too.
00:21:26.18\00:21:27.98
And when he
descended the mountain,
00:21:28.02\00:21:30.32
he broke the tablets of
stone God had given him.
00:21:30.35\00:21:34.12
The next thing he did was
to call his brother to account,
00:21:34.16\00:21:36.83
asking Aaron, "What
did this people do to you
00:21:36.86\00:21:40.03
that you have brought
so great a sin upon them?"
00:21:40.06\00:21:43.77
So Aaron proceeded to
explain what had happened.
00:21:43.80\00:21:47.47
And he ended with the
worst excuse in the Bible,
00:21:47.50\00:21:52.47
telling Moses, "I said to
them, 'Whoever has any gold,
00:21:52.51\00:21:56.11
"let them break it
off.' So they gave it to me,
00:21:56.14\00:21:58.91
and I cast it into the
fire, and this calf came out."
00:21:58.95\00:22:03.59
Wait a minute. What did he say?
00:22:03.62\00:22:07.69
That all he'd done was
throw jewelry and pieces of gold
00:22:07.72\00:22:10.39
into the fire and,
voila! out came an idol?
00:22:10.43\00:22:13.80
Would anyone have
believed a story like that?
00:22:13.83\00:22:16.13
It was an outright lie and
a very poor excuse for a lie.
00:22:16.16\00:22:20.80
The Bible clearly
states that Aaron "fashioned it
00:22:20.84\00:22:23.51
with [a]...tool." That
calf took a lot of work,
00:22:23.54\00:22:27.44
purposeful work that
Aaron had done himself.
00:22:27.48\00:22:31.08
It was not random. It
was intentional on his part--
00:22:31.11\00:22:34.78
and on the part of the people.
00:22:34.82\00:22:37.49
By suggesting the
calf happened by itself
00:22:38.59\00:22:41.52
or made itself spontaneously,
Aaron was not only lying;
00:22:41.56\00:22:47.13
he was assigning
power to the gold
00:22:47.13\00:22:49.33
that the gold didn't possess.
00:22:49.36\00:22:51.93
He was assigning
power to the idol,
00:22:51.97\00:22:54.50
that it could
somehow self-generate.
00:22:54.54\00:22:57.51
As they worshiped it,
00:22:57.54\00:22:58.74
the Israelites were
doing the same thing.
00:22:58.77\00:23:01.71
They ascribed all the
power, might, and strength
00:23:01.74\00:23:04.81
they'd already seen with their
own eyes from the God of heaven
00:23:04.85\00:23:09.32
to a precious stone
carved into an idol.
00:23:09.35\00:23:12.72
Unlike the living God,
the golden calf was lifeless
00:23:12.75\00:23:17.43
and could do nothing for them.
00:23:17.46\00:23:19.66
But instead of
trusting the true God,
00:23:19.69\00:23:21.56
the One who had
actually freed them,
00:23:21.60\00:23:23.30
the One who'd actually
given them bread and water,
00:23:23.33\00:23:25.37
the One who had protected
them with His mighty hand,
00:23:25.40\00:23:28.80
they were willing to put their
trust in inanimate objects,
00:23:28.84\00:23:32.04
in stone instead of the Creator.
00:23:32.07\00:23:36.48
¤[soft orchestral music]¤
00:23:36.51\00:23:37.55
The same is true today
when people put their trust
00:23:37.58\00:23:39.41
in crystals, precious
stones, amulets, and charms.
00:23:39.45\00:23:45.05
These things have no
power to heal or help or save.
00:23:45.09\00:23:52.73
The only one who can
save is the Rock of Ages,
00:23:52.76\00:23:57.73
Jesus Christ. In times of
fear or doubt or uncertainty,
00:23:57.77\00:24:04.94
you can turn to Him. Don't
let subtle forms of darkness
00:24:04.97\00:24:11.31
to even enter your home,
certainly not your heart.
00:24:11.35\00:24:16.42
Because over time they
may eventually overwhelm you,
00:24:16.45\00:24:20.49
might even take your life.
00:24:20.52\00:24:22.86
Make no mistake, this is no
game; it's spiritual warfare.
00:24:22.89\00:24:29.26
Your only hope of
victory is in Jesus.
00:24:29.30\00:24:32.93
He promises you that victory.
00:24:32.97\00:24:35.57
You need only come to
Him and claim His promises
00:24:35.60\00:24:39.41
for true
healing, for redemption,
00:24:39.44\00:24:42.91
and for conquering the devil.
00:24:42.94\00:24:46.51
The devil is powerful.
00:24:46.55\00:24:48.18
But "greater is
He that is in you,
00:24:48.22\00:24:52.15
than he that is in the world."
00:24:52.19\00:24:54.96
God's promise to you and to me
is to cleanse us and purify us
00:24:54.99\00:24:58.89
from sin and from the
darkness of this world.
00:24:58.93\00:25:03.03
All you need to do is to
willingly put off and reject
00:25:03.06\00:25:08.14
those things that are
right now weighing you down.
00:25:08.17\00:25:12.47
¤[soft
orchestral music continues]¤
00:25:12.51\00:25:13.98
Jesus Himself offers
us a brand new beginning,
00:25:14.01\00:25:18.21
no matter how far
we've gone from Him.
00:25:18.25\00:25:21.15
You just need to remember
that nothing the devil offers
00:25:21.18\00:25:23.92
as a way to somehow access
power or miraculous healing
00:25:23.95\00:25:28.36
can even come close to
what God has already done
00:25:28.39\00:25:31.26
and freely
offers you and me today.
00:25:31.29\00:25:35.00
Here's what God promises
in the last book of the Bible:
00:25:35.03\00:25:39.07
"I counsel you to buy [of]
me gold refined in the fire,
00:25:39.10\00:25:44.57
"that you may be rich;
00:25:44.61\00:25:45.87
"and white garments,
that you may be clothed,
00:25:45.91\00:25:48.51
"that the shame of your
nakedness may not be revealed;
00:25:48.54\00:25:51.91
and anoint your eyes with
eye salve, that you may see."
00:25:51.95\00:25:55.72
"To him [that] overcomes
I will grant to sit with me
00:25:55.75\00:25:58.12
"on my throne, as I
also overcame and sat down
00:25:58.15\00:26:01.89
with my Father on His throne."
00:26:01.92\00:26:05.06
Now, this is the gold we want.
00:26:05.09\00:26:08.80
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:26:08.83\00:26:09.83
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:11.50\00:26:13.40
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:13.44\00:26:16.84
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:16.87\00:26:20.04
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:20.08\00:26:24.25
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:24.28\00:26:25.81
to the address on your screen,
00:26:25.85\00:26:27.28
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:27.32\00:26:31.12
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:31.15\00:26:33.96
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:33.99\00:26:38.13
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:38.16\00:26:41.13
>>John: Let's pray together now.
00:26:41.83\00:26:43.67
Our Father in heaven, in
Jesus' name we come to You,
00:26:43.70\00:26:46.67
thankful for the One who is the
Way, the Truth, and the Life.
00:26:46.70\00:26:51.71
¤[soft piano music]¤
00:26:51.74\00:26:52.94
We recognize that we are caught
up in a great spiritual battle
00:26:52.97\00:26:58.01
with deception at every side.
00:26:58.05\00:27:01.35
I'm asking that You would guide
us in the way of light and life.
00:27:01.38\00:27:07.49
Right now there's one
who is seeking a better way,
00:27:07.52\00:27:10.96
a new start, a
new life in Jesus,
00:27:10.99\00:27:14.83
and I'm praying for that person
as he or she brings to You
00:27:14.83\00:27:20.70
a heart to be made new,
a mind to be transformed.
00:27:20.74\00:27:26.11
We thank You for
the truth of Your Word
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and that one day soon we will
leave this sin-darkened world
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for an eternity
in Your Presence.
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Keep us. Fill us
with Your Presence.
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Save us now and
always. We pray and thank You
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in Jesus' name, amen.
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Thank you so
much for joining me.
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I'm look 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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¤[dramatic theme music]¤
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