¤[music ends]¤¤
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¤[soft mysterious music]¤
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¤[music swells and
becomes suspenseful]¤
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¤[music shifts to
Middle-Eastern instruments]¤
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>>John Bradshaw:
Welcome to Turkey.
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People have been living here
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longer than almost
anywhere else on the planet.
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It's played an important
role throughout history.
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Ancient ruins dot
this storied land.
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The Trojan War took place here.
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Alexander the Great conquered
a large part of what was
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then called Anatolia in 334 AD
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on his way to conquering
the Medo-Persian Empire.
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And after Greece
moved off center stage,
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the Roman Empire
governed this part of the world.
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¤[music continues]¤
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Turkey is a beautiful country.
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It borders eight different
nations, spans two continents,
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Europe and Asia, and
sits between the Black Sea,
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the Aegean Sea,
and the Mediterranean.
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But its importance isn't
just limited to world history.
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Turkey has an extraordinarily
rich Christian history.
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The book of Colossians was
written to believers in Turkey.
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Antioch, where believers
were first called Christians,
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was here.
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It was also home to seven
of the most important churches
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in the history of Christianity:
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the seven churches of
the book of Revelation.
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"What you see, write in a book
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"and send it to the seven
churches which are in Asia:
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"to Ephesus, to Smyrna,
to Pergamos, to Thyatira,
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to Sardis, to
Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."
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¤[soft piano music]¤
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The letters to the
seven churches are all brief.
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The letter to Thyatira is only
12 verses, less than 300 words;
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the letter to
Smyrna, only four verses.
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But however short,
these letters endure,
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and they were placed in
the last book of the Bible
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with good reason.
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And the reason I
say they are among
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the most important churches
ever is because Jesus addressed
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these churches personally,
prompting the Apostle John
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to write letters to the churches
in behalf of Jesus Himself,
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letters which speak to us
today, as we're going to learn.
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Each of the letters
to the seven churches
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contains several
things in common.
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To each of them there is
an introduction of Jesus.
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For example, to
the church of Smyrna,
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He's the one who was
"the first and the last,"
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who "was dead, and is alive."
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To Sardis, Jesus is the one
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who has "the seven Spirits
of God, and the seven stars."
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To all of the churches,
Jesus says, "I know your works."
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To most of them
there's a rebuke or a reproof,
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and then to all of
them there's a promise.
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For example, to the church
at Philadelphia, Jesus says,
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"I will make [you to be] a
pillar in the temple of my God."
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To Laodicea, He says,
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"I will grant [you] to
sit with me [in] my throne."
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Now, the first of
the seven churches
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is one that's very
well known: Ephesus.
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¤[soft dramatic music]¤
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Back in John's time, Ephesus
was one of the largest cities
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in the Roman
province of Asia Minor,
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and it was a bustling
center of pagan worship.
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Originally located on
the shores of the Aegean Sea,
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2,000 years of war, earthquakes,
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and the harbor
being clogged with silt
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has left the site of old Ephesus
three miles inland from the sea.
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However, the ruins
that remain clue us in
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on how incredible
this city once was.
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Here's how a poet from the
second century BC described
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the grandeur of the
Ephesian temples and monuments:
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"I have set eyes on
the wall of lofty Babylon
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"on which is a
road for chariots,
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"and the statue of
Zeus by the Alpheus,
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"and the hanging gardens,
and the Colossus of the Sun,
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"and the huge labor
of the high pyramids,
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"and the vast tomb of Mausolus;
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"but when I saw
the house of Artemis
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"that mounted to the
clouds, those other marvels
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"lost their brilliancy, and I
said, 'Lo, apart from Olympus,
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the Sun never
looked on aught so grand.'"
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When you're
standing in the old city,
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it's easy to understand
what the poet was talking about.
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There are some absolutely
remarkable ruins here.
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There's the
temple built by Domitian,
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a Roman emperor
in the first century;
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the fountain of Domitian;
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the third-largest
library in the Roman Empire,
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where thousands
of scrolls were held;
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ruins of gymnasiums
close to 2,000 years old;
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a relief of the goddess
Nike, the goddess of victory;
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the Nymphaeum, an
impressive building constructed
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to honor nature
spirits called nymphs.
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Ephesus hosted gladiator
fights and wild animal fights
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during the third
and fourth centuries,
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long after the time of John.
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Many historians say Christians
were persecuted in this place.
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Of course, this
isn't the only time
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the church of Ephesus
appears in the New Testament.
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The Apostle Paul wrote an
epistle--that's a letter--
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to the church
here about 20 years
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before Revelation was written.
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So, clearly, this
was an important place.
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Paul wrote to the
Ephesians of conversion,
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of how God changes the life.
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It was to the Ephesians that
he explained people are saved
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by grace through
faith-- the inference being,
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by grace alone
through faith alone.
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He wrote to the Ephesians
of righteousness by faith,
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of being strengthened
inwardly by the Holy Spirit,
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of Christ dwelling
in the heart by faith,
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of knowing the love of Christ
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and being filled with
"the fullness of God."
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He wrote to them about
baptism and spiritual gifts
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and manifesting the
character of Christ.
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And it was to the
Ephesians that he wrote about
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the armor of God:
"the shield of faith,"
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"the helmet of salvation,"
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"the sword of the Spirit," which
he said was "the word of God."
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When Paul wrote
to the Ephesians,
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he specifically addressed
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both slaves and slave
owners, as Ephesus was
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a very significant
slave trading center.
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¤[soft music]¤
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Years later, when John
wrote to the church of Ephesus
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back in Revelation,
chapter 2, he had this to say:
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"To the angel of the
church of Ephesus write,
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"'These things says He
who holds the seven stars
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"'in His right hand,
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who walks in the midst of
the seven golden lampstands.'"
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Notice, this letter
starts with an assurance:
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This comes to you from the One
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"who holds the seven
stars in His right hand."
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We're told in chapter 1
that those stars represent
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the angels, or the messengers,
of the seven churches.
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Then: This is from the One
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"who walks in the midst of
the seven golden lampstands,"
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which chapter 1 said
are the seven churches.
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Jesus says He's
intimately acquainted with them
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and with what they're going
through. That's reassurance.
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He goes on: "I know your works,
your labor, your patience,
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"and that you cannot
bear those who are evil.
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"And you have tested
those who say they are apostles
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"and are not, and
have found them liars;
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"and you have
persevered and have patience,
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"and have labored
for my name's sake
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and have not become weary."
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That's good, isn't it?
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Sure it is. But there
was something missing,
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something serious missing.
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We'll find out what that
was, and we'll go to the site
00:08:36.71\00:08:39.01
of a riot--that almost
cost the Apostle Paul his life--
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in just a moment.
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¤[music swells and ends]¤¤
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>>Announcer 1: Travel
back in time and visit
00:08:54.23\00:08:56.26
the historic sites of
Revelation's ancient churches,
00:08:56.30\00:08:59.57
where Christianity
grew against all odds,
00:08:59.60\00:09:02.20
and learn how messages
shared by Jesus 2,000 years ago
00:09:02.24\00:09:06.21
are also messages
from heaven for today.
00:09:06.24\00:09:09.11
Call now for your free copy
00:09:09.14\00:09:10.58
of "The Seven Churches of
Revelation: Messages for Today."
00:09:10.61\00:09:14.72
Call 800-253-3000.
00:09:14.75\00:09:17.49
That's 800-253-3000.
00:09:17.52\00:09:20.29
Or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:09:20.32\00:09:23.66
¤[upbeat music]¤
00:09:25.13\00:09:27.46
>>Announcer 2: Planning
for your financial future
00:09:27.50\00:09:29.00
is a vital aspect of
Christian stewardship.
00:09:29.03\00:09:31.93
For this reason, It Is
Written is pleased to offer
00:09:32.93\00:09:35.67
free planned giving
and estate services.
00:09:35.70\00:09:38.54
For information on
how we can help you,
00:09:38.57\00:09:40.81
please call 800-992-2219.
00:09:40.84\00:09:45.68
Call today
00:09:45.71\00:09:46.51
or visit our
website: hislegacy.com.
00:09:46.55\00:09:50.12
Call 800-992-2219.
00:09:50.15\00:09:54.16
¤[ominous music]¤
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>>John Bradshaw: Paul didn't
have everything his own way
00:10:03.00\00:10:05.10
while he was here.
00:10:05.13\00:10:06.27
In fact, he wrote to the
church at Corinth and told them
00:10:06.30\00:10:09.07
that when he was in Ephesus,
he "fought with beasts."
00:10:09.10\00:10:13.17
Now, he didn't
mean actual animals;
00:10:13.21\00:10:14.91
that was the bitter
opposition he was met with
00:10:14.94\00:10:17.51
while he was here.
00:10:17.55\00:10:18.95
Yet God worked powerfully here.
00:10:18.98\00:10:21.82
¤[somber Middle-Eastern
instrumental music]¤
00:10:21.85\00:10:24.85
In Acts 19, it states that
Paul "[disputed here] daily
00:10:26.86\00:10:30.76
in the school of one Tyrannus."
00:10:30.79\00:10:33.83
In an auditorium near
the Library of Celsus,
00:10:33.86\00:10:36.77
inscriptions have been found
mentioning the name of Tyrannus.
00:10:36.80\00:10:40.80
So Paul preached
very near this spot.
00:10:40.84\00:10:43.97
Now, in that same chapter,
Paul meets certain believers,
00:10:44.81\00:10:49.61
he baptizes them
with the Holy Spirit,
00:10:49.64\00:10:52.55
and they have the
miraculous ability to speak
00:10:52.58\00:10:55.25
in other languages.
00:10:55.28\00:10:56.75
It was in Acts 19 that
people would bring handkerchiefs
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and so forth that had
touched Paul's body and then go
00:11:00.52\00:11:04.23
and place them on sick people,
00:11:04.26\00:11:06.43
and they would
miraculously recover
00:11:06.46\00:11:08.10
from their illnesses or
have demons cast out of them.
00:11:08.13\00:11:11.37
¤[soft somber music]¤
00:11:11.40\00:11:12.30
It was here that
the seven sons of Sceva
00:11:12.33\00:11:14.54
were overcome by evil spirits.
00:11:14.57\00:11:17.47
It was also here that people
burned their occult books.
00:11:17.51\00:11:22.44
But it was also here that
a silversmith named Demetrius
00:11:22.48\00:11:25.75
realized that Paul's
preaching against idolatry
00:11:25.78\00:11:28.88
was costing him, and a lot of
people like him, a lot of money.
00:11:28.92\00:11:33.15
If people
weren't worshiping idols,
00:11:33.19\00:11:35.26
then they weren't
buying his idols and shrines.
00:11:35.29\00:11:38.93
So he caused an uproar.
00:11:38.96\00:11:41.86
He said, "This Paul has
persuaded and turned away
00:11:41.90\00:11:45.43
"many people, saying
that they are not gods
00:11:45.47\00:11:49.04
which are made with hands."
00:11:49.07\00:11:51.94
He feared the
Temple of Artemis--
00:11:51.97\00:11:53.58
or Diana, as the Ephesians
called her--might "be despised
00:11:53.61\00:11:57.85
and her magnificence destroyed."
00:11:57.88\00:12:00.15
And he mentioned that "all Asia
and the world" worshiped her.
00:12:00.18\00:12:04.52
In Acts, chapter 19,
00:12:04.55\00:12:06.25
there's a story that
discusses the Temple of Artemis.
00:12:06.29\00:12:09.32
It's right here in Ephesus.
00:12:09.36\00:12:11.29
It was one of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World.
00:12:11.33\00:12:14.93
There was a belief,
mentioned in the same chapter,
00:12:14.93\00:12:17.80
that a statue of Artemis
fell to the earth from heaven.
00:12:17.83\00:12:21.04
Of course, that was nonsense,
00:12:21.07\00:12:23.41
but it wasn't out of sync with
the teachings of pagan worship.
00:12:23.44\00:12:27.14
And similar things have been
taught in Christian churches.
00:12:27.18\00:12:30.25
¤[somber Middle-Eastern
instrumental music]¤
00:12:30.28\00:12:35.08
So, whipped into a
frenzy by Demetrius,
00:12:35.12\00:12:37.82
"The whole city was filled
with confusion," the Bible says.
00:12:37.85\00:12:41.29
And people flowed into the
theater and shouted in unison,
00:12:41.32\00:12:46.33
"Great is Diana
of the Ephesians!"
00:12:46.36\00:12:48.93
They kept it up for two hours.
00:12:48.96\00:12:51.83
It was so wild that
Paul was told to stay away
00:12:51.87\00:12:55.07
from the protest in
order to save his life.
00:12:55.10\00:12:58.71
Order was only
restored when a city official
00:12:58.74\00:13:01.18
reasoned with the mob
and settled them down.
00:13:01.21\00:13:04.75
So this place was the
home of rampant idolatry
00:13:04.78\00:13:07.42
and people who were fiercely
committed to that idolatry.
00:13:07.45\00:13:10.69
Fascinating thing,
00:13:10.72\00:13:12.19
today the temple
doesn't exist--just ruins.
00:13:12.22\00:13:16.49
Paul's writings, however,
00:13:16.52\00:13:18.33
are still read and
respected all over the world.
00:13:18.36\00:13:23.00
The temple was destroyed
for the final time in 262 AD,
00:13:23.03\00:13:26.74
and not long after that,
the empire became Christian,
00:13:26.77\00:13:30.51
so that the
temple was never rebuilt.
00:13:30.54\00:13:33.71
Jesus commended the
believers in Ephesus
00:13:33.74\00:13:36.21
for differentiating
between right and wrong
00:13:36.24\00:13:39.81
and for refusing to
tolerate certain sins
00:13:39.85\00:13:43.62
and for having worked
tirelessly in Christ's cause.
00:13:43.65\00:13:48.66
Now, that's a big deal
00:13:48.69\00:13:49.59
because this place
wasn't the Bible Belt
00:13:49.62\00:13:52.19
with a Christian
church on every corner.
00:13:52.23\00:13:54.76
Notice, Paul wrote to
the church at Ephesus--
00:13:54.83\00:13:58.73
not to the diocese or convention
or conference or council--
00:13:58.77\00:14:03.64
the church.
00:14:03.67\00:14:05.11
And this was a
deeply wicked place.
00:14:05.14\00:14:09.44
After commending the
Ephesians, Jesus says--
00:14:09.48\00:14:11.78
and remember, the
letters to the seven churches
00:14:11.81\00:14:14.55
were messages from Jesus--
00:14:14.58\00:14:17.02
He says, "Nevertheless
I have this against you,
00:14:17.05\00:14:21.29
that you have
left your first love."
00:14:21.32\00:14:25.13
Now, that ought to sober you up.
00:14:25.16\00:14:26.73
He didn't say, "You've all
fallen into deep apostasy."
00:14:26.76\00:14:30.20
He didn't say, "I have a
problem with your drug use
00:14:30.23\00:14:32.13
or with your immorality."
00:14:32.17\00:14:33.94
He said, "You have
left your first love."
00:14:33.97\00:14:38.44
It's interesting that in
this first of the seven letters
00:14:38.47\00:14:41.18
to the churches, Jesus
goes right to the heart
00:14:41.21\00:14:45.05
of what it is to be a Christian.
00:14:45.08\00:14:47.32
They had left their first love.
00:14:47.35\00:14:49.45
They had commendable works.
00:14:49.48\00:14:50.82
Jesus spoke highly of
their labor and their patience.
00:14:50.85\00:14:54.29
They had a lot going for them.
00:14:54.32\00:14:56.56
But there was an Achilles' heel:
They had left their first love.
00:14:56.59\00:15:00.96
They were careful in their
adherence to the gospel message.
00:15:00.96\00:15:04.10
They guarded the flock
of the Lord faithfully.
00:15:04.13\00:15:06.47
They kept evil practices and
teachings out of their ranks.
00:15:06.50\00:15:10.64
But they had
left their first love.
00:15:10.67\00:15:13.78
We'll find out more about that
00:15:13.81\00:15:15.08
and hear an amazing promise
from Jesus in just a moment.
00:15:15.11\00:15:19.55
¤[music swells and ends]¤¤
00:15:19.58\00:15:26.59
>>John: Miracles--events
that can only be explained
00:15:28.82\00:15:32.09
as the actions of
an all-powerful God.
00:15:32.13\00:15:35.43
If you look at the Bible, you'll
find it's full of miracles:
00:15:35.46\00:15:40.64
parting the Red
Sea, healing the blind,
00:15:40.67\00:15:43.97
walking on
water, raising the dead.
00:15:44.01\00:15:47.98
Many have claimed
these events never happened.
00:15:48.01\00:15:51.15
But did they?
00:15:51.18\00:15:52.15
¤[music]¤
00:15:52.18\00:15:53.28
Is it important for Christians
to believe in miracles?
00:15:53.31\00:15:56.99
And do they still happen today?
00:15:57.02\00:15:59.12
Join me for "Do You
Believe in Miracles?"
00:15:59.15\00:16:02.09
We'll meet some
remarkable people
00:16:02.12\00:16:03.73
and hear some
incredible stories.
00:16:03.76\00:16:05.86
We'll learn what miracles
are--and what they're not.
00:16:05.89\00:16:09.70
And we'll discuss the
greatest miracle of all time,
00:16:09.73\00:16:13.40
one that has significance
for every human being on earth
00:16:13.44\00:16:17.24
and the potential to
change your life entirely.
00:16:17.27\00:16:20.78
"Do You Believe in Miracles?"
00:16:20.81\00:16:22.61
Brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:16:22.64\00:16:25.78
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:16:25.81\00:16:27.35
>>John: Thank you for
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00:16:29.28\00:16:31.35
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00:16:31.39\00:16:34.79
To support this international
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00:16:34.82\00:16:38.06
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00:16:38.09\00:16:42.26
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00:16:42.30\00:16:43.73
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00:16:43.77\00:16:45.23
or you can visit us
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00:16:45.27\00:16:49.04
Thank you for your prayers
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00:16:49.07\00:16:51.91
Our number
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00:16:51.94\00:16:56.04
or you can visit us
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00:16:56.08\00:16:59.08
¤[soft dramatic music]¤
00:17:00.68\00:17:04.92
>>John Bradshaw: Now, you
know that you can love ice cream
00:17:04.95\00:17:06.96
and love your
cousin and love God,
00:17:06.99\00:17:09.69
and they're a different
kind of love in each case.
00:17:09.72\00:17:12.83
The church in Philadelphia,
00:17:12.86\00:17:14.46
that's the church
of "brotherly love."
00:17:14.46\00:17:16.63
The word "love" there
comes from the Greek "phileo,"
00:17:16.67\00:17:19.57
and that's,
that's "brotherly love."
00:17:19.60\00:17:21.44
But that's not what
Jesus is talking about here.
00:17:21.47\00:17:24.84
When Jesus says
they've left their first love,
00:17:24.87\00:17:27.51
He uses the
words "protos agape."
00:17:27.54\00:17:30.71
"Protos"--"first,"
like the word "prototype."
00:17:30.75\00:17:33.82
Today we take that to mean
the first model of something.
00:17:33.85\00:17:37.35
"Protocol" originally meant the
first page or sheet of a volume
00:17:37.39\00:17:41.86
or of a manuscript.
00:17:41.89\00:17:43.49
"Proto," "protos"--"first."
00:17:43.53\00:17:46.09
The word for "love"
is the word "agape."
00:17:46.13\00:17:49.10
Not love in a sensual sense
00:17:49.13\00:17:51.50
and not "phileo"--that's
"brotherly love"--
00:17:51.53\00:17:53.94
instead, this is "agape";
that's "self-sacrificing love."
00:17:53.97\00:17:58.94
It's the love that God
has for the human family,
00:17:58.97\00:18:01.94
the love which led
Jesus to die on the cross.
00:18:01.98\00:18:05.38
And it's the love
that we may have for God,
00:18:05.41\00:18:08.28
that same self-sacrificing love
00:18:08.32\00:18:10.99
that leads a person to
yield their life to God.
00:18:11.02\00:18:15.06
Now, they had left that.
00:18:15.09\00:18:17.53
There's a message for us there.
00:18:17.56\00:18:19.53
You know that the
book of Revelation
00:18:19.56\00:18:20.86
details the last great
crisis to come to the world,
00:18:20.90\00:18:24.20
and we're getting
closer and closer to that time.
00:18:24.23\00:18:28.27
And the first message given by
Jesus in the book of Revelation,
00:18:28.30\00:18:32.44
the first words He
speaks to a group of believers
00:18:32.47\00:18:35.24
contain a warning
against leaving your first love.
00:18:35.28\00:18:40.78
And they didn't
lose it. They left it.
00:18:40.82\00:18:44.29
¤[melancholy guitar music]¤
00:18:44.32\00:18:47.32
Even though they
were ardent believers,
00:18:55.46\00:18:57.57
even though they worked hard to
keep heresy out of their ranks,
00:18:57.60\00:19:00.50
Jesus said they'd
left their first love.
00:19:00.54\00:19:04.21
They had no time for the
teachings of the Nicolaitans.
00:19:04.24\00:19:07.01
Scholars believed
the Nicolaitans fostered
00:19:07.04\00:19:09.68
immorality in the church and
taught their fellow Christians
00:19:09.71\00:19:12.68
they didn't need to
obey the law of God.
00:19:12.71\00:19:15.85
Got plenty of that
in the church today.
00:19:15.88\00:19:18.19
But Jesus said, in
spite of all of that,
00:19:18.22\00:19:21.76
they'd left their first love.
00:19:21.79\00:19:24.03
Many of them were simply
going through the motions
00:19:24.06\00:19:26.53
of living a, a
good Christians life.
00:19:26.56\00:19:28.93
They were teaching the truth,
and they were refuting error--
00:19:28.96\00:19:32.13
all of that.
00:19:32.17\00:19:33.37
They were like
many husbands and wives
00:19:33.40\00:19:34.97
who stay together
out of convenience
00:19:35.00\00:19:37.81
but simply don't really
love each other anymore.
00:19:37.84\00:19:41.08
It might be that you
can relate to some of that.
00:19:41.11\00:19:43.55
You've got the Christian label,
00:19:43.58\00:19:44.71
but you're going
through the motions.
00:19:44.75\00:19:47.02
You believe, all
right, but living in a world
00:19:47.05\00:19:49.55
where there are so many
attractions and distractions
00:19:49.58\00:19:53.29
and inducements to
sin everywhere you turn,
00:19:53.32\00:19:57.19
it's like you can become sort
of numb to real Christianity.
00:19:57.23\00:20:02.90
Where's that first love?
00:20:02.93\00:20:06.03
Jesus spoke to this when
He said it's our privilege
00:20:06.07\00:20:08.94
to "love the Lord your
God with all your heart,
00:20:08.97\00:20:13.04
with all your soul,
and with all your mind."
00:20:13.07\00:20:16.01
But down here in
the close of time,
00:20:17.01\00:20:19.08
locked in a
titanic spiritual struggle,
00:20:19.11\00:20:22.38
there's an almost magnetic pull
00:20:22.42\00:20:23.95
away from anything that
looks like real faith in Jesus.
00:20:23.99\00:20:27.62
Here in Ephesus,
00:20:27.66\00:20:28.79
what sin couldn't
do, a lack of focus did.
00:20:28.82\00:20:32.93
While Jesus doesn't say His
people dived into idol worship,
00:20:32.96\00:20:36.46
they did get distracted.
00:20:36.50\00:20:38.27
They lost their
fire, their zeal.
00:20:38.30\00:20:42.60
And there's a warning here.
00:20:42.64\00:20:44.64
He says to the
believers in Ephesus,
00:20:44.67\00:20:46.91
"Remember therefore
from where you have fallen;
00:20:46.94\00:20:50.01
"repent and do the first works,
00:20:50.05\00:20:52.81
"or else I will
come to you quickly
00:20:52.85\00:20:55.45
and remove your lampstand from
its place--unless you repent."
00:20:55.48\00:21:00.92
Simple: repentance--sorrow for
sin and turning away from sin.
00:21:00.96\00:21:07.13
Clearly, just
going with the flow
00:21:07.20\00:21:09.23
isn't God's plan A for anyone.
00:21:09.26\00:21:12.67
He'll remove the
lampstand. That's interesting.
00:21:12.70\00:21:15.67
The lampstands or
candlesticks you read about
00:21:15.70\00:21:18.01
represent the
churches themselves.
00:21:18.04\00:21:20.74
Jesus is saying, "If you
don't return to your first love,
00:21:20.78\00:21:24.58
you won't be able to function
as a representative church."
00:21:24.61\00:21:28.82
So, looking around,
00:21:28.85\00:21:31.15
the words of Jesus have
definitely been fulfilled.
00:21:31.19\00:21:34.69
Clearly, in a time of spiritual
crisis, real agape love for God
00:21:34.72\00:21:39.89
is needed to guide a
person through that time.
00:21:39.93\00:21:43.50
Jesus declared, "Not everyone
who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
00:21:43.53\00:21:47.90
"shall enter the
kingdom of heaven,
00:21:47.94\00:21:50.37
but he who does the
will of my Father in heaven."
00:21:50.41\00:21:54.11
That's not God being
arbitrary or capricious.
00:21:54.14\00:21:57.78
That's God letting us
know what real Christianity is.
00:21:57.81\00:22:01.68
It's about being
all-in, about being committed.
00:22:01.72\00:22:05.15
And, you know, on the cross
00:22:05.19\00:22:07.79
Jesus demonstrated how
committed to you He is.
00:22:07.82\00:22:11.39
It's also a warning:
00:22:11.43\00:22:13.03
that a church in a challenging
place can lose their ardor,
00:22:13.06\00:22:16.70
can lose their commitment.
00:22:16.73\00:22:18.50
It can happen to
anyone, anywhere, at any time.
00:22:18.53\00:22:23.51
But in the letters to the seven
churches, Jesus offers hope:
00:22:23.54\00:22:28.21
"He who has an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit says
00:22:28.24\00:22:31.88
"to the churches.
To him who overcomes
00:22:31.91\00:22:35.55
"I will give to eat
from the tree of life,
00:22:35.58\00:22:37.92
which is in the midst
of the Paradise of God."
00:22:37.95\00:22:41.72
¤[soft somber music]¤
00:22:41.76\00:22:45.49
It was said that Artemis
and her twin brother Apollo
00:22:45.53\00:22:48.50
were born in a sacred
grove called a "paradeisos."
00:22:48.53\00:22:52.90
Here God offers His people
a place in the true paradise,
00:22:52.93\00:22:57.41
not a counterfeit,
00:22:57.44\00:22:59.14
not fruit from a tree
that would live and then die,
00:22:59.17\00:23:02.94
but the genuine article,
00:23:02.98\00:23:04.58
something that would exist
forever--unlike pagan idolatry,
00:23:04.61\00:23:10.35
which itself is a poor
and destructive imitation
00:23:10.39\00:23:14.06
of what God offers.
00:23:14.09\00:23:16.32
So even to a church that
had begun to drift, Jesus says,
00:23:16.36\00:23:20.16
"One day, through faith in
me, you'll have eternal life.
00:23:20.20\00:23:25.33
"You'll eat
from the tree of life
00:23:25.37\00:23:26.77
that grew in the Garden of
Eden way back at creation."
00:23:26.80\00:23:30.17
Jesus gave the very direct
assurance that heaven awaits,
00:23:30.21\00:23:33.58
that there's a better
day coming in a better land.
00:23:33.61\00:23:37.48
It couldn't have been
easy to live in the midst
00:23:37.51\00:23:39.38
of raw paganism as
a believer in Jesus,
00:23:39.41\00:23:41.82
but Jesus encourages them.
00:23:41.85\00:23:43.65
And He says,
"Find your first love,
00:23:43.69\00:23:46.32
and you have
eternity to look forward to."
00:23:46.35\00:23:48.92
¤[music continues]¤
00:23:48.96\00:23:53.93
[sound of waves]
00:23:53.96\00:23:55.73
[goats' bells
tinkling, goats blatting]
00:23:55.76\00:24:00.44
So what do you do if
you've lost your first love?
00:24:00.47\00:24:04.87
Here on the island of Patmos,
00:24:04.91\00:24:07.94
John was told by Jesus
exactly what you should do.
00:24:07.98\00:24:12.41
Jesus said, "Repent
and do the first works."
00:24:12.45\00:24:16.28
Now, what would
those first works be?
00:24:16.32\00:24:19.52
When you first came to faith
in Christ, you were excited.
00:24:19.55\00:24:22.42
You read the Bible; you
prayed; you shared your faith;
00:24:22.46\00:24:25.39
you were consistent about
corporate worship--those things.
00:24:25.43\00:24:29.40
Jesus is saying, "Go back
to those times and relive,
00:24:29.43\00:24:33.30
recapture that
fervency about your faith."
00:24:33.34\00:24:36.71
Jesus would be saying,
00:24:36.74\00:24:37.81
"Allow the Spirit of
God to work in your life."
00:24:37.84\00:24:40.61
He'd be saying, "Consider
the power of the cross."
00:24:40.64\00:24:45.35
Here on Patmos, John did that.
00:24:46.45\00:24:48.92
You know, John
was present at Calvary
00:24:48.95\00:24:52.42
when Jesus died on the cross.
00:24:52.45\00:24:54.99
And here on Patmos, he had ample
opportunity to relive those days
00:24:55.02\00:25:00.26
and think that
through in his mind,
00:25:00.30\00:25:01.60
though it be many decades later.
00:25:01.63\00:25:03.80
At the same time, as he
thought back at the cross,
00:25:03.83\00:25:06.60
he looked forward
in vision to that time
00:25:06.63\00:25:08.30
when Jesus would come back as
King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
00:25:08.34\00:25:13.41
John maintained that first love
experience, and you can, too.
00:25:13.44\00:25:18.05
Think of what Jesus
has done in your life.
00:25:18.08\00:25:20.42
Think of what
He's doing right now
00:25:20.45\00:25:21.78
and look forward to that
time when He comes back for you,
00:25:21.82\00:25:24.49
King of Kings, Lord of Lords,
00:25:24.52\00:25:26.22
to gather you and
the redeemed together,
00:25:26.25\00:25:28.72
to take you to be
with Him forever and ever.
00:25:28.76\00:25:32.89
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:25:32.93\00:25:34.40
>>Announcer 1: Travel
back in time and visit
00:25:36.30\00:25:38.30
the historic sites of
Revelation's ancient churches,
00:25:38.33\00:25:41.67
where Christianity
grew against all odds,
00:25:41.70\00:25:44.24
and learn how messages
shared by Jesus 2,000 years ago
00:25:44.27\00:25:48.21
are also messages
from heaven for today.
00:25:48.24\00:25:51.11
Call now for your free copy
00:25:51.15\00:25:52.61
of "The Seven Churches of
Revelation: Messages for Today."
00:25:52.65\00:25:56.75
Call 800-253-3000.
00:25:56.79\00:25:59.35
That's 800-253-3000.
00:25:59.39\00:26:02.29
Or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:26:02.32\00:26:05.66
>>Announcer 3: "The Hope of
Glory" is a new devotional book
00:26:07.00\00:26:09.16
written by John Bradshaw.
00:26:09.20\00:26:10.67
Written with you in mind,
00:26:10.70\00:26:11.83
the 365 Bible-based daily
readings cover a wide range
00:26:11.87\00:26:15.17
of important topics to
fuel your spiritual journey.
00:26:15.20\00:26:17.94
To order "The Hope of Glory,"
00:26:17.97\00:26:19.04
call 800-253-3000
00:26:19.07\00:26:21.51
or visit us online
at itiswritten.shop.
00:26:21.54\00:26:24.61
It Is Written viewers
can use the promo code "HOPE"
00:26:24.65\00:26:27.02
when ordering
"The Hope of Glory"
00:26:27.05\00:26:28.35
to get $5 off
the purchase price.
00:26:28.38\00:26:30.62
"The Hope of Glory,"
00:26:30.65\00:26:31.69
call 800-253-3000
00:26:31.72\00:26:34.62
or visit itiswritten.shop.
00:26:34.66\00:26:37.03
>>John Bradshaw: Let
me pray with you now.
00:26:37.93\00:26:39.53
Our Father in
heaven, here where John stood
00:26:39.56\00:26:42.56
on the island of
Patmos, we come to You
00:26:42.60\00:26:44.77
asking that we'd
never lose our first love.
00:26:44.80\00:26:47.64
And right now there's
somebody, many somebodies
00:26:47.67\00:26:50.71
who are battling with that.
00:26:50.74\00:26:52.74
Something's slipping,
there's a weakening there,
00:26:52.77\00:26:55.04
and I pray that You'd come
alongside that person right now;
00:26:55.08\00:26:58.25
fill that person
with Your Spirit;
00:26:58.28\00:26:59.55
give that person a
picture of the cross
00:26:59.58\00:27:02.12
and a picture of Jesus coming
back...as a conquering King.
00:27:02.15\00:27:05.89
¤[soft music]¤ [sound of waves]
00:27:05.92\00:27:07.09
And, friend, if that's you,
you've lost your first love,
00:27:07.12\00:27:08.99
will you pray the
prayer with me now?
00:27:09.02\00:27:10.33
That says, "Lord
Jesus, give me that first love
00:27:10.36\00:27:14.10
and don't ever
let it slip away."
00:27:14.13\00:27:17.50
We thank You for the revelation.
00:27:17.53\00:27:19.80
We thank You for the
messages to the seven churches.
00:27:19.83\00:27:22.90
And we thank You
00:27:22.94\00:27:23.97
that Your will would be
wrought out in our lives.
00:27:24.01\00:27:27.64
In Jesus' name.
00:27:27.68\00:27:29.78
Amen.
00:27:29.81\00:27:31.05
Thank you so
much for joining me.
00:27:31.08\00:27:32.21
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:32.25\00:27:34.58
Until then, remember:
00:27:34.62\00:27:36.28
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:36.32\00:27:40.59
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:40.62\00:27:44.89
¤[dramatic,
triumphant theme music]¤
00:27:44.93\00:27:48.90
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:28:25.33\00:28:27.34