¤[music ends]¤¤
00:00:15.84\00:00:17.85
¤[contemplative piano music]¤
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>>John Bradshaw: Did you ever
look at one of those interesting
00:00:25.52\00:00:27.72
pictures where you,
you gaze at it long enough
00:00:27.76\00:00:30.36
or in the right way and
suddenly an image appears?
00:00:30.39\00:00:33.53
They call them
stereograms, auto-stereograms.
00:00:33.56\00:00:36.53
They create the illusion
of a three-dimensional scene.
00:00:36.56\00:00:39.90
They look like a collection
of random dots or patterns,
00:00:39.93\00:00:42.54
but hidden in there, well,
00:00:42.57\00:00:44.04
it might be an
animal or a building,
00:00:44.07\00:00:46.68
could be anything at all.
00:00:46.71\00:00:47.88
It's due to
something called stereopsis,
00:00:47.91\00:00:51.15
binocular depth perception,
00:00:51.18\00:00:52.95
your brain making
sense of the information
00:00:52.98\00:00:55.35
it's receiving from
two eyes at the same time.
00:00:55.38\00:00:58.92
You can stare at one
of those things for ages
00:00:58.95\00:01:01.16
and not see anything, and then
suddenly the image jumps out.
00:01:01.19\00:01:04.53
It can be hard not
to see it after a while.
00:01:04.56\00:01:07.73
The city of Bristol
in the west of England
00:01:07.76\00:01:10.17
is a little like
one of those images.
00:01:10.20\00:01:12.90
Look at Bristol
today and what do you see?
00:01:12.93\00:01:16.17
It's a city of
half a million people,
00:01:16.20\00:01:18.44
100 miles or so west of London.
00:01:18.47\00:01:21.28
The drive will take
you two and a half hours.
00:01:21.31\00:01:23.58
By train, you're there in a
little over an hour and a half.
00:01:23.61\00:01:27.32
Cross the Severn
River and you're in Wales.
00:01:27.35\00:01:29.95
Cross the Avon River
and you're still in Bristol,
00:01:29.98\00:01:32.92
but if you do
so, you can cross it
00:01:32.95\00:01:34.72
on the Clifton Suspension
Bridge, an incredible thing
00:01:34.76\00:01:37.79
designed by the man
voted by British people
00:01:37.83\00:01:39.96
to be the second-greatest
Briton from Great Britain:
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the delightfully named engineer
00:01:43.50\00:01:45.30
Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
00:01:45.33\00:01:48.47
Brunel also designed
the SS "Great Britain,"
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which in the mid-1800s
00:01:51.77\00:01:53.74
was the largest
passenger ship in the world.
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And, in case you're wondering,
no, it isn't the same Avon River
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as the one that runs through
William Shakespeare's hometown.
00:02:01.32\00:02:04.95
Stratford-upon-Avon is upon a
different Avon River. In fact,
00:02:04.99\00:02:09.42
there are five different
Avon rivers in England.
00:02:09.46\00:02:12.43
The word "Avon" comes from
a Celtic word meaning "river."
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So the Avon River
is the "River River."
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[rush of wind]
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If you were to study Bristol,
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you'd notice
it's an historic city.
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People have been living
here for 1,000 years or more.
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Beyond that, it's fairly
typical for a city of this size.
00:02:28.48\00:02:32.51
Hollywood icon and
Academy Award nominee
00:02:32.55\00:02:34.95
Cary Grant was born
here as Archibald Leach.
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Banksy, the world-renowned
artist, is also a Bristolian.
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Okay, we're going to
look more closely now,
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and we're going to
look slightly to the north.
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If you go out of the downtown,
00:02:50.00\00:02:51.97
past the
university, keep on going,
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and before long
you'll get to Ashley Down.
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There's a cluster of buildings,
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which at first
glance give nothing away.
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You'll have to
look more closely.
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Look really close and a
picture begins to emerge:
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a picture of faith,
of incredible faith,
00:03:09.48\00:03:13.25
a portrait of a remarkable
man who impacted the world,
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who changed the world
00:03:16.76\00:03:18.26
for thousands and
thousands of people,
00:03:18.29\00:03:21.16
a man whose life and ministry
still changes lives today.
00:03:21.20\00:03:26.17
His name?
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Johann Georg Ferdinand Müller.
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[pensive orchestral music]
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[waves crashing]
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He was born in a place
that doesn't even exist today:
00:03:41.18\00:03:44.52
the Kingdom of Prussia.
00:03:44.55\00:03:46.35
He was born in
1805, about 32 miles
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and 322 years from
where Martin Luther was born.
00:03:50.23\00:03:55.13
George Müller
became one of Bristol's
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most well-known residents.
00:03:56.87\00:03:58.80
Even Charles Dickens
visited Bristol to see Müller
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and witness his work.
00:04:01.84\00:04:03.81
His work was housing,
raising, and educating orphans,
00:04:03.84\00:04:09.31
thousands and
thousands of orphans.
00:04:09.34\00:04:12.81
And what's remarkable
about Müller's enterprise
00:04:12.85\00:04:16.02
is that he did it all
without ever asking anyone,
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not anyone, for money.
00:04:20.42\00:04:23.02
This was 100
percent a faith venture.
00:04:23.06\00:04:28.16
Here is how it began.
00:04:28.20\00:04:29.96
As a child, Müller was trouble.
00:04:30.00\00:04:32.47
He was a liar and a thief
and a drunk, and he was immoral,
00:04:32.50\00:04:35.30
and he was a gambler--
00:04:35.34\00:04:36.67
while he was still a
boy, barely a teenager.
00:04:36.71\00:04:40.11
His father wanted
him to become a minister
00:04:40.14\00:04:42.28
in the Lutheran
church, the state church.
00:04:42.31\00:04:45.18
Not because the dad wanted
his son to be a man of God--
00:04:45.21\00:04:48.55
he wanted him to earn a decent
living and have a secure job
00:04:48.58\00:04:51.22
and occupy a
respectable place in society.
00:04:51.25\00:04:54.16
And it might have worked out if
Müller wasn't such a scoundrel.
00:04:54.19\00:04:58.43
He was a young
man without a future.
00:04:58.46\00:05:00.76
At least, he
didn't have a good future.
00:05:00.80\00:05:03.40
¤[soft synth music]¤
00:05:03.43\00:05:05.77
While he was studying for
the ministry at a university
00:05:08.07\00:05:10.54
in Halle near Leipzig, he
was invited to a Bible study
00:05:10.57\00:05:14.48
in someone's home, and there
something changed in his heart.
00:05:14.51\00:05:18.98
He found faith in Jesus.
00:05:19.01\00:05:21.32
He got new friends, new
habits, a new direction in life.
00:05:21.35\00:05:24.99
He became something of a
spiritual leader on campus.
00:05:25.02\00:05:28.72
When war prevented him
from going to Bucharest
00:05:28.76\00:05:31.43
to serve as a
missionary, he came to London
00:05:31.46\00:05:34.46
to serve as a
missionary to Jews.
00:05:34.46\00:05:37.13
Before long, he
was pastoring a church
00:05:37.17\00:05:39.97
in the southwest of England.
00:05:40.00\00:05:41.50
When he came to Bristol in 1832,
00:05:43.04\00:05:45.51
King William IV
was on the throne.
00:05:45.54\00:05:48.21
Müller pastored a church
that stood right on this spot,
00:05:48.24\00:05:52.71
Ebenezer Chapel, and it was
here that things really began
00:05:52.75\00:05:56.02
to change for him.
00:05:56.05\00:05:57.62
He decided he would no
longer receive a salary,
00:05:57.65\00:06:00.69
and that he wouldn't
rent pews to his congregation.
00:06:00.72\00:06:04.69
That was the custom at the time.
00:06:04.73\00:06:06.93
And it was here in Bristol
that he and his good friend
00:06:06.96\00:06:09.56
Henry Craik founded a movement
that impacted the world,
00:06:09.60\00:06:14.34
running orphanages without
ever raising money to do so.
00:06:14.37\00:06:20.08
He built numerous buildings,
many of them very large,
00:06:20.11\00:06:22.58
and raised thousands of orphans,
00:06:22.61\00:06:25.01
but he never raised any money.
00:06:25.05\00:06:27.38
He did it all by faith.
00:06:27.42\00:06:30.09
Tell you more in just a moment.
00:06:30.12\00:06:32.49
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:06:32.52\00:06:39.53
>>John: The book of Revelation
describes God's last-day people
00:06:41.76\00:06:44.90
as people of faith.
00:06:44.93\00:06:46.70
Find out how you can have faith
to stand in earth's last days.
00:06:46.74\00:06:50.11
Call now and ask
for today's free offer,
00:06:50.14\00:06:52.94
"Faith When It Matters."
00:06:52.97\00:06:54.78
To receive
"Faith When It Matters,"
00:06:54.81\00:06:56.24
call 800-253-3000.
00:06:56.28\00:06:59.11
You can also visit us online,
00:06:59.15\00:07:00.95
write to the
address on your screen,
00:07:00.98\00:07:02.85
or text "freefaith" to 71392.
00:07:02.88\00:07:06.86
"Faith When It Matters,"
00:07:06.89\00:07:08.26
request your free copy now.
00:07:08.29\00:07:10.63
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on "It Is Written."
00:07:12.46\00:07:15.23
When George Müller got
married at the age of 25,
00:07:15.26\00:07:18.23
he and his new wife
Mary made the decision
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that George would
not receive a salary,
00:07:20.80\00:07:24.77
nor would the
Müllers ever speak to anybody
00:07:24.81\00:07:28.11
about their needs.
They'd never mention hardship.
00:07:28.14\00:07:31.95
Now, you might think
that God just rained money
00:07:31.98\00:07:34.85
down on them from heaven,
but that's not what happened.
00:07:34.88\00:07:37.85
Frequently,
things were difficult;
00:07:37.89\00:07:39.75
often they were flat broke
or down to just a few pennies.
00:07:39.79\00:07:44.59
But throughout it all, Müller
was a very successful minister.
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He won a lot of souls.
00:07:48.23\00:07:50.03
Ebenezer Chapel, here in
Bristol, was a very busy place.
00:07:50.07\00:07:54.10
And then George got the idea
00:07:54.14\00:07:55.64
that he would
look after orphans.
00:07:55.67\00:07:57.24
Now, his motivation
for that was two-fold.
00:07:57.27\00:08:00.58
Number one, he wanted to look
after orphans, but secondly,
00:08:00.61\00:08:05.08
well, this is what
George Müller himself said:
00:08:05.11\00:08:08.08
"This is the primary reason for
establishing the orphan house.
00:08:08.12\00:08:12.09
"I certainly desire to be used
by God to help the poor children
00:08:12.12\00:08:15.72
"and train them
in the ways of God.
00:08:15.76\00:08:17.83
"But the primary
object of the work
00:08:17.86\00:08:20.33
"is that God would be magnified
00:08:20.36\00:08:22.63
"because the orphans
under my care will be provided
00:08:22.66\00:08:25.63
"with all they need
through prayer and faith.
00:08:25.67\00:08:29.47
Everyone will see that God
is faithful and hears prayer."
00:08:29.50\00:08:34.81
It began right
here on Wilson Street,
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and God provided the means.
00:08:38.18\00:08:40.48
First a donation of a shilling--
call that around $12 today--
00:08:40.52\00:08:44.19
then a wardrobe
was given, a closet;
00:08:44.22\00:08:46.62
then 10 shillings--$120.
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Then somebody volunteered.
00:08:49.09\00:08:51.16
Before long, Müller was
operating two orphanages,
00:08:51.19\00:08:54.30
two orphan
houses, right about there.
00:08:54.36\00:08:57.17
When the houses
were no longer suitable,
00:08:58.50\00:09:01.20
when they were no
longer big enough,
00:09:01.24\00:09:02.64
and the neighbors
started complaining,
00:09:02.67\00:09:04.81
Müller decided to
build new orphanage buildings
00:09:04.84\00:09:07.41
here in Ashley Down,
00:09:07.44\00:09:08.88
which back then was
way out in the country.
00:09:08.91\00:09:12.11
Now, if you know anything at all
about the George Müller story,
00:09:12.15\00:09:14.62
then you've
heard of the miracles.
00:09:14.65\00:09:17.29
Like when there
was nothing to eat,
00:09:17.32\00:09:19.35
so Müller had the children
bow their heads and pray
00:09:19.39\00:09:22.29
and ask the blessing on the food
that they were about to receive,
00:09:22.32\00:09:26.06
and when they said, "Amen,"
there was a knock at the door,
00:09:26.09\00:09:28.70
and it was the baker explaining
that God had impressed him
00:09:28.73\00:09:31.57
to bake extra bread to
provide for the orphans,
00:09:31.60\00:09:34.44
and he did so right on time.
00:09:34.47\00:09:35.77
And then, there was
another knock at the door,
00:09:35.80\00:09:37.91
and it was the milkman
explaining how the milk cart
00:09:37.94\00:09:40.58
had broken down, and he
didn't want the milk to spoil,
00:09:40.61\00:09:42.91
so could the
orphans use some milk?
00:09:42.94\00:09:45.55
What a great story!
00:09:45.58\00:09:47.98
Except that...
00:09:48.02\00:09:49.58
>>Ellie Manley: Uh,
well, it's not true, firstly.
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Well, we don't
know if it's not true;
00:09:51.12\00:09:52.69
we just have no
evidence that it ever happened.
00:09:52.72\00:09:55.02
It's not recorded in
any of Müller's diaries
00:09:55.06\00:09:57.46
or any of his writings.
00:09:57.49\00:09:58.89
And we don't have any
evidence from anyone at the time
00:09:58.93\00:10:01.10
to say that happened.
00:10:01.13\00:10:02.30
We do know that there
were lots of things like that
00:10:02.33\00:10:04.47
that did happen.
00:10:04.50\00:10:05.80
>>John: Ellie
Manley is the director
00:10:05.83\00:10:07.80
of the George Müller Museum,
00:10:07.84\00:10:10.47
which is located in
one of the very buildings
00:10:10.51\00:10:12.97
in which Müller's
orphans were housed.
00:10:13.01\00:10:15.78
So, tell me a true story, then.
00:10:15.81\00:10:17.45
What's one of the
stories that we know happened?
00:10:17.48\00:10:19.81
>>Ellie: A verified one.
Do you know the banana story?
00:10:19.85\00:10:22.65
>>John: No.
>>Ellie: No, nobody does.
00:10:22.68\00:10:23.95
I found it recently. So there's,
um--after George Müller died,
00:10:23.99\00:10:27.49
the person who took over
00:10:27.52\00:10:28.59
was his
son-in-law, James Wright,
00:10:28.62\00:10:30.43
and after him it
was a man called Bergen.
00:10:30.46\00:10:32.09
And so, the banana story
is from the time of Bergen.
00:10:32.13\00:10:34.73
So, we're talking
early 20th century.
00:10:34.73\00:10:36.70
And they decided
that they wanted to treat
00:10:36.73\00:10:39.50
all of the
orphans, all 3,050 of them,
00:10:39.53\00:10:41.50
to a banana each on
their summer picnic.
00:10:41.54\00:10:44.14
And bananas were a luxury good,
00:10:44.17\00:10:45.71
you know, they were
things that the children
00:10:45.74\00:10:47.18
would be
unlikely to have tasted.
00:10:47.21\00:10:48.81
Um, and they were all
very excited about treating
00:10:48.84\00:10:51.71
the children to that,
and so they saved up money,
00:10:51.75\00:10:54.12
and it was all a big secret,
00:10:54.15\00:10:55.02
and they were
gonna buy these bananas.
00:10:55.05\00:10:56.48
And so, the day
before, um, they were due to go
00:10:56.52\00:10:58.82
on the picnic, they went to buy
the bananas, to the fruit market
00:10:58.85\00:11:01.62
with the money
that they've saved,
00:11:01.66\00:11:02.66
but there weren't
bananas at the fruit market.
00:11:02.69\00:11:04.43
There were just so few of them
00:11:04.46\00:11:06.03
that they wouldn't even have
a little slice for every child.
00:11:06.06\00:11:08.90
And anyway, the price
of bananas had skyrocketed,
00:11:08.93\00:11:12.07
and they couldn't afford the
bananas, even if they wanted to.
00:11:12.10\00:11:14.54
So, they came back
to Bergen and said,
00:11:14.57\00:11:17.44
"We can't do bananas anymore."
00:11:17.47\00:11:19.31
Um, "There's no other
plan for tomorrow's picnic."
00:11:19.34\00:11:21.18
And so, Bergen said, "We'll
pray," and they all gathered,
00:11:21.21\00:11:24.55
the staff team gathered,
00:11:24.58\00:11:25.88
and they prayed
for bananas, as you do.
00:11:25.91\00:11:28.08
And that's it. They
went about their days.
00:11:28.12\00:11:31.22
Now, the next day, an hour
before they were due to leave,
00:11:31.25\00:11:34.49
a cart arrived with a little
gift for the orphan house.
00:11:34.52\00:11:37.09
And what had happened was, um,
in the docks the previous day,
00:11:37.13\00:11:40.43
there'd been a
massive shipment of bananas
00:11:40.46\00:11:42.20
that hadn't made
the fruit market.
00:11:42.23\00:11:44.43
And by the end of the day,
they didn't know what to do
00:11:44.47\00:11:46.94
with the bananas, and
the ship needed to leave,
00:11:46.97\00:11:48.77
and so they were
pushing bananas into the water,
00:11:48.80\00:11:51.07
just binning them.
00:11:51.11\00:11:52.24
And somebody
walked past and said,
00:11:52.27\00:11:54.58
"Oh, there's an
orphan house on the hill.
00:11:54.61\00:11:56.24
"Why don't you give
the bananas to them?
00:11:56.28\00:11:57.91
They might like them."
00:11:57.95\00:11:59.05
Nobody knew that they
had been praying for bananas.
00:11:59.08\00:12:02.28
But the next day, an
hour before they were due
00:12:02.32\00:12:04.29
to go on the picnic, a
cartload of bananas arrived,
00:12:04.32\00:12:06.62
and there were enough bananas
for five for every single child.
00:12:06.65\00:12:09.16
So, they were definitely
provided with bananas that day.
00:12:09.19\00:12:13.16
>>John: Müller's
father actually begged him
00:12:13.19\00:12:15.46
not to become a missionary.
00:12:15.50\00:12:17.10
He wept as he
spoke with his son.
00:12:17.13\00:12:19.43
But then Müller's life changed.
00:12:19.47\00:12:21.34
He wrote in his autobiography,
00:12:21.37\00:12:23.34
"I had once fully served Satan."
00:12:23.37\00:12:26.68
But then he became the young man
who would walk 10 or 15 miles
00:12:26.71\00:12:29.54
to hear a sermon preached.
00:12:29.58\00:12:31.08
He really changed
through the power of God--
00:12:31.11\00:12:34.22
and then dedicated
himself to serving God.
00:12:34.25\00:12:38.49
Tell me something about
the scale of the operation
00:12:38.52\00:12:40.99
here at Ashley Down
00:12:41.02\00:12:42.16
when it was at its, at
its peak, at its busiest.
00:12:42.19\00:12:45.33
>>Ellie: Well, it got very
big very quickly, is the answer.
00:12:45.36\00:12:48.30
So, Wilson Street
started with 30 girls,
00:12:48.33\00:12:51.13
and then another house
was opened for infants,
00:12:51.17\00:12:53.23
so, children under the age
of 7, another one for boys,
00:12:53.27\00:12:55.17
another one for girls,
another one for infants, etc.
00:12:55.20\00:12:57.37
Um, and we don't
have clear records
00:12:57.41\00:13:00.38
of the staff members involved.
00:13:00.41\00:13:02.74
We know that by the time they
moved up here to Ashley Down,
00:13:02.78\00:13:05.18
112 children moved with
them to the first house here.
00:13:05.21\00:13:09.35
Um, that house
quickly filled up.
00:13:09.38\00:13:11.15
It held 300 children.
00:13:11.19\00:13:12.99
And the first building
cost Müller 10,000 pounds,
00:13:13.02\00:13:15.96
which in today's money is
about half a million pounds.
00:13:15.99\00:13:19.06
So, it's a lot of money.
00:13:19.09\00:13:20.40
And it started
with Wilson Street.
00:13:20.43\00:13:23.70
So, George Müller lived
his life without a salary,
00:13:23.73\00:13:26.70
and he never asked for money
in setting up the orphanages.
00:13:26.74\00:13:30.71
But he would pray, offer
all of his needs up to God,
00:13:30.74\00:13:34.54
and hope that, you
know, he had enough to feed
00:13:34.58\00:13:37.05
10,000 children
over his lifetime.
00:13:37.08\00:13:39.35
And so, Wilson
Street, when it opened,
00:13:39.38\00:13:41.75
the first
donation was two pennies.
00:13:41.78\00:13:44.59
The second donation was another
bit of money, two shillings.
00:13:44.62\00:13:48.39
And the third
donation was a large wardrobe.
00:13:48.42\00:13:50.49
And from there
somebody gave him a teaspoon,
00:13:50.53\00:13:52.59
and somebody
gave him, um, a knife.
00:13:52.63\00:13:55.83
And somebody
else gave him a fork.
00:13:55.86\00:13:57.43
And by the time, um, a
couple of months later,
00:13:57.47\00:13:59.87
the first orphanage opened,
he had 21 knives and 21 forks,
00:13:59.90\00:14:03.07
and they'd all come in
from different people randomly.
00:14:03.10\00:14:05.44
And that's how the next, you
know, several decades happened,
00:14:05.47\00:14:09.64
that people gave tiny little
donations from all over Bristol
00:14:09.68\00:14:13.08
until he had 10,000 pounds
to build a big building with.
00:14:13.11\00:14:16.48
He didn't borrow to build that.
00:14:16.52\00:14:17.82
He waited till he had the
money to do it before building.
00:14:17.85\00:14:21.16
Um, he didn't go into debt. And
there are, um, stories about him
00:14:21.19\00:14:25.86
having to stop the build because
he can't pay the builders,
00:14:25.89\00:14:29.56
and they're like,
"Well, we like this project.
00:14:29.60\00:14:31.13
"We'll keep building this week.
00:14:31.17\00:14:32.47
Maybe you'll have
the money next week."
00:14:32.50\00:14:33.64
But he won't go into debt.
00:14:33.67\00:14:35.30
He was waiting
till he's got the money.
00:14:35.34\00:14:36.97
But ultimately he prayed a
lot, [laughs] a lot, a lot,
00:14:37.01\00:14:39.97
and 10,000
children were cared for,
00:14:40.01\00:14:42.48
and then after he died, another
7,556 children were cared for,
00:14:42.51\00:14:46.65
so, five big
buildings, 17,500 children.
00:14:46.68\00:14:51.15
>>John: Müller did more
than just provide orphans
00:14:51.19\00:14:53.49
with a place to stay.
00:14:53.52\00:14:54.96
The children were educated,
00:14:54.99\00:14:57.13
and every one of them
left here with a trade.
00:14:57.16\00:15:00.06
An interesting
commentary on the times,
00:15:00.10\00:15:02.20
a local mill operator complained
00:15:02.23\00:15:03.97
that Müller was
robbing him of a labor source
00:15:04.00\00:15:06.63
by educating the children.
00:15:06.67\00:15:08.64
All of the girls
were trained to make
00:15:08.67\00:15:10.24
what were called
Bristol samplers,
00:15:10.27\00:15:12.74
and many of the girls were
trained to be nurses, at a time
00:15:12.77\00:15:16.08
when there was no system
of care for orphaned children.
00:15:16.11\00:15:19.41
They left here with money
and clothing--and a Bible.
00:15:19.45\00:15:23.79
The homes were in
use until the 1970s.
00:15:23.82\00:15:27.12
In addition to the orphanages,
00:15:27.16\00:15:28.96
Müller and his
ministry partner, Henry Craik,
00:15:28.99\00:15:31.86
founded the
Scriptural Knowledge Institution
00:15:31.89\00:15:34.83
to support missionaries,
distribute tracts and Bibles,
00:15:34.83\00:15:37.80
and establish schools
and Bible study opportunities
00:15:37.83\00:15:40.60
for adults and children.
00:15:40.64\00:15:42.10
When he was
born, life expectancy
00:15:42.14\00:15:44.11
was less than 40 years,
00:15:44.14\00:15:46.47
but at the age of 71,
Müller began to travel abroad.
00:15:46.51\00:15:51.15
For 17 years he
traveled throughout Europe
00:15:51.18\00:15:53.78
and North America and the Middle
East and the South Pacific.
00:15:53.82\00:15:57.65
He went to more
than 40 countries.
00:15:57.69\00:16:00.66
In all, 17,500 children
came through the Müller homes.
00:16:00.69\00:16:05.89
That's a staggering
number-- and all done by faith.
00:16:05.93\00:16:09.66
In fact, this box right here
is as forward as Müller ever got
00:16:09.70\00:16:16.37
when it came to
asking for money.
00:16:16.40\00:16:17.87
It's likely this was
in the church he pastored
00:16:17.91\00:16:20.51
here in Bristol.
00:16:20.54\00:16:22.18
Time and again the
Müller homes needed money,
00:16:22.21\00:16:24.18
and there was none,
and yet God provided.
00:16:24.21\00:16:27.15
On one occasion when
George was asked for money
00:16:27.18\00:16:29.38
for housekeeping, he said
he could provide it tomorrow,
00:16:29.42\00:16:32.99
in spite of the fact that
he, at the time, had nothing.
00:16:33.02\00:16:36.79
But then, someone gave a
pound, about 160 pounds today,
00:16:36.83\00:16:40.53
close to $200.
00:16:40.56\00:16:42.03
And then someone sent 44
dozen onions, 29 pounds of salt,
00:16:42.06\00:16:46.74
and 26 pounds of grain.
00:16:46.77\00:16:49.10
Müller, once an absolute rebel,
00:16:49.14\00:16:52.34
surrendered his life to God
and became a giant of faith.
00:16:52.37\00:16:56.88
Now, the truth is, anyone
can have that kind of faith.
00:16:56.91\00:17:01.05
I'll tell you how you
can have it in just a moment.
00:17:01.08\00:17:04.72
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:17:04.75\00:17:11.76
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:17:13.53\00:17:15.63
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:17:15.66\00:17:19.23
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:17:19.27\00:17:21.90
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:17:21.94\00:17:26.14
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:17:26.17\00:17:27.91
to the address on your screen,
00:17:27.94\00:17:29.41
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:17:29.44\00:17:33.25
Thank you for your prayers
and your financial support.
00:17:33.28\00:17:35.45
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:17:35.48\00:17:39.35
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:17:39.39\00:17:43.06
¤[soft instrumental music]¤
00:17:44.39\00:17:45.53
>>John: They're as
old as time itself,
00:17:45.56\00:17:47.86
created on the third
day of Creation week.
00:17:47.86\00:17:50.83
They were here before
animals, birds, humans,
00:17:50.87\00:17:54.74
and even before the sun.
00:17:54.77\00:17:57.77
Join me for "The Good Seed."
00:17:57.81\00:18:00.68
We'll travel to Mansfield,
Missouri, to learn about seeds,
00:18:00.71\00:18:04.25
the wonders of creation
that Jesus so often spoke about:
00:18:04.28\00:18:08.08
"A sower went forth to sow."
00:18:08.12\00:18:10.35
"The kingdom of God is as
if a man should scatter seed
00:18:10.39\00:18:13.12
on the ground."
00:18:13.15\00:18:14.42
"The kingdom of
heaven is likened unto a man
00:18:14.46\00:18:16.42
which sowed good
seed in his field."
00:18:16.46\00:18:19.13
I'll talk with
experts, and we'll discover
00:18:19.16\00:18:21.60
how you can sow good seed
00:18:21.63\00:18:23.26
and be sure that you
will reap an eternal harvest.
00:18:23.30\00:18:26.94
"The Good Seed," how
the seed of the Word of God
00:18:26.97\00:18:30.27
can set your life on
a whole new trajectory
00:18:30.31\00:18:34.11
and how the power of
God can remake your being.
00:18:34.14\00:18:37.61
"The Good Seed,"
00:18:37.65\00:18:39.28
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:18:39.31\00:18:42.32
>>John Bradshaw:
There were many times
00:18:44.85\00:18:46.15
at the George Müller
orphanages in Bristol
00:18:46.19\00:18:48.52
when donated food would arrive
exactly when it was needed,
00:18:48.56\00:18:53.63
when desperately needed
money would be delivered
00:18:53.66\00:18:56.00
while Müller and
others were praying
00:18:56.03\00:18:58.03
that God would
provide the exact amount.
00:18:58.07\00:19:01.67
People were moved by the
Spirit of God and would donate
00:19:01.70\00:19:04.94
cloth and clothing
and other needed things.
00:19:04.97\00:19:08.31
Time and time again, after the
children had eaten breakfast,
00:19:08.34\00:19:11.28
there'd be absolutely no
food for lunch, or after lunch,
00:19:11.31\00:19:14.98
no food on hand for dinner.
00:19:15.02\00:19:16.95
And God would provide without
anyone outside of the orphanage
00:19:16.99\00:19:21.12
being aware of the need.
00:19:21.16\00:19:23.46
The Müller
organization still exists today.
00:19:23.49\00:19:27.13
Joel Preston is the leader
00:19:27.13\00:19:28.93
of the George
Müller Charitable Trust.
00:19:28.96\00:19:31.80
>>Joel Preston: So
George Müller, best known
00:19:31.83\00:19:33.64
for caring for
vulnerable children,
00:19:33.67\00:19:35.27
as well as living by faith,
00:19:35.30\00:19:37.01
but he was also a church
leader, he was an evangelist,
00:19:37.04\00:19:39.81
he was a preacher, he
prayed in money for missionaries
00:19:39.84\00:19:43.18
for the Scriptural Knowledge
Institute, and so today
00:19:43.21\00:19:45.91
we take Müller's approach
in the sense that we look
00:19:45.95\00:19:48.92
to strengthen the church to meet
the needs of the vulnerable.
00:19:48.95\00:19:53.02
And we do that by
focusing on what we refer to
00:19:53.05\00:19:55.06
as our three "F's."
00:19:55.09\00:19:56.36
We free children from poverty.
00:19:56.39\00:19:58.29
We focus people on Jesus.
00:19:58.33\00:20:00.23
And we fuel leaders for mission.
00:20:00.26\00:20:02.70
>>John: So, is the
organization active
00:20:02.73\00:20:04.77
here in Great Britain only?
00:20:04.80\00:20:06.63
Or here and other
parts of the world?
00:20:06.67\00:20:08.47
Where are you aiming?
00:20:08.50\00:20:09.64
>>Joel: Well, we
focus all around the world.
00:20:09.67\00:20:12.07
That includes Britain; it
includes locally in Bristol,
00:20:12.11\00:20:14.24
but also many, many
countries around the world.
00:20:14.28\00:20:17.21
We're aware that the needs
are great in many countries,
00:20:17.25\00:20:20.08
and we think that our
funds that God provides
00:20:20.12\00:20:22.58
can have a big
benefit all around the world.
00:20:22.62\00:20:25.25
>>John: So, for an organization
00:20:25.29\00:20:26.55
that doesn't
actively solicit funding,
00:20:26.59\00:20:28.96
how does funding
find its way to you?
00:20:28.99\00:20:31.63
>>Joel: Through prayer, [laughs]
00:20:31.66\00:20:33.73
through prayer and through
the generosity of the church.
00:20:33.76\00:20:36.46
And so, yeah, we rely on
God still for the donations
00:20:36.50\00:20:39.03
that kinda come in. We pray
every day that God will provide
00:20:39.07\00:20:41.94
what He wants us to have so
that we can bless other people,
00:20:41.97\00:20:44.97
our partners around
the world who are caring
00:20:45.01\00:20:46.54
for vulnerable children,
local churches who are looking
00:20:46.57\00:20:48.98
to engage with young people
in their local communities
00:20:49.01\00:20:51.95
and just bring that hope and
wholeness to vulnerable people
00:20:51.98\00:20:54.82
locally and internationally.
00:20:54.85\00:20:57.45
>>John: The Müller
organization is still run today
00:20:57.49\00:21:01.09
on faith 100%.
00:21:01.12\00:21:04.23
So, how do you
have faith, real faith?
00:21:04.26\00:21:07.23
How did George
Müller have faith?
00:21:07.30\00:21:09.00
Well, first, we remember he
was a real, genuine Christian.
00:21:09.03\00:21:12.80
He was connected to God.
00:21:12.83\00:21:14.50
He was a man of the Bible.
00:21:14.54\00:21:15.90
This is one of George
Müller's Bibles right here.
00:21:15.94\00:21:19.04
It's said he
read the Bible through
00:21:19.07\00:21:21.11
more than 200 times
during his lifetime.
00:21:21.14\00:21:24.21
And he prayed.
00:21:24.25\00:21:25.88
He read, and he prayed,
00:21:25.91\00:21:28.58
and he maintained
his connection with God.
00:21:28.62\00:21:30.72
Now, you might be tempted
to think that faith came easy
00:21:30.75\00:21:34.39
to George Müller.
But he would disagree.
00:21:34.42\00:21:37.53
He said, "I do not [naturally]
have the gift of faith"
00:21:37.56\00:21:41.93
found in 1 Corinthians,
chapter 12 in verse 9,
00:21:41.96\00:21:44.53
which says, and I have it,
00:21:44.57\00:21:46.97
"To another faith
by the same Spirit."
00:21:47.00\00:21:50.14
Now, Müller didn't believe
he had the gift of faith.
00:21:50.17\00:21:52.67
But he developed faith,
00:21:52.71\00:21:54.18
and he utilized
faith, and his faith grew.
00:21:54.21\00:21:57.38
He learned to
simply depend on God.
00:21:57.41\00:22:00.68
He wrote this:
00:22:00.72\00:22:02.38
"My faith is the same faith
00:22:02.42\00:22:03.99
"which is found
in every believer.
00:22:04.02\00:22:06.12
"It has been
increasing little by little
00:22:06.15\00:22:07.99
"for the last twenty-six years.
00:22:08.02\00:22:10.23
"Many times when I could
have gone insane from worry,
00:22:10.26\00:22:13.40
"I was in peace because
my soul believed the truth
00:22:13.43\00:22:16.80
"of that promise--
00:22:16.83\00:22:18.47
"'We know that all
things work together for good
00:22:18.50\00:22:21.80
to them that love God.'"
00:22:21.84\00:22:23.44
Romans 8:28.
00:22:23.47\00:22:25.81
It's important
we understand faith.
00:22:25.84\00:22:28.64
The Bible says we are saved
"by grace...through faith,"
00:22:28.68\00:22:32.18
Ephesians 2, verse 8.
00:22:32.21\00:22:34.18
God's people in the end
of time are described as
00:22:34.22\00:22:36.65
"those who keep the commandments
of God and the faith of Jesus."
00:22:36.69\00:22:40.82
Revelation 14:12.
00:22:40.86\00:22:42.89
Faith is expecting
the Word of God to do
00:22:42.92\00:22:46.39
what it says it will do because
God has spoken and has said so.
00:22:46.43\00:22:51.67
And in order for a
person to have faith like that,
00:22:51.70\00:22:55.44
you need to actually know God.
00:22:55.47\00:22:57.77
I'll give you two great examples
of faith from the Bible.
00:22:57.81\00:23:01.28
God told Abraham that he would
be a father in his old age.
00:23:01.31\00:23:05.71
Romans 4:21 says, "He staggered
not at the promise of God
00:23:05.75\00:23:09.38
"through unbelief;
but was strong in faith,
00:23:09.42\00:23:12.62
"giving glory to God;
and being fully persuaded
00:23:12.65\00:23:16.36
that, what He had promised
He was able also to perform."
00:23:16.39\00:23:21.33
Now, notice that?
00:23:21.36\00:23:22.73
He believed God could do
what He had promised to do.
00:23:22.76\00:23:26.57
That's faith.
00:23:26.60\00:23:28.67
Faith is not you
having faith in you,
00:23:28.70\00:23:31.67
but faith in
what God has promised.
00:23:31.71\00:23:34.61
If God has promised it,
why wouldn't you believe it?
00:23:34.64\00:23:39.91
A centurion, not
a Jew but a Gentile,
00:23:41.25\00:23:44.82
approached Jesus and
asked Him to heal his servant.
00:23:44.85\00:23:49.39
"Jesus said..., 'I
will come and heal him.
00:23:49.42\00:23:51.86
"The centurion
answered and said,
00:23:51.89\00:23:54.00
"'Lord, I am not worthy that
You should come under my roof.
00:23:54.03\00:23:57.83
But only speak a word, and
my servant will be healed.'"
00:23:57.87\00:24:02.37
This prompted Jesus to
say, "Assuredly, I say to you,
00:24:02.40\00:24:06.31
I have not found such great
faith, not even in Israel!"
00:24:06.34\00:24:11.35
The centurion
believed that there was power
00:24:11.38\00:24:14.05
in the word of God to
do what it says it can do.
00:24:14.08\00:24:18.72
There's story
after story in the Bible
00:24:18.75\00:24:20.46
demonstrating what
real faith looks like.
00:24:20.49\00:24:23.02
On one occasion, Jesus
asked Simon and some others
00:24:23.06\00:24:26.49
to cast out their nets to fish,
00:24:26.53\00:24:30.03
even though it wasn't a
good time of day for fishing.
00:24:30.07\00:24:33.77
"Simon answered and said to Him,
00:24:33.80\00:24:35.90
"'Master, we have toiled
all night and caught nothing;
00:24:35.94\00:24:39.91
nevertheless at Your word
I will let down the net.'"
00:24:39.94\00:24:43.78
Luke 5, verse 5.
00:24:43.81\00:24:45.65
They caught so many
fish they filled up two boats
00:24:46.01\00:24:48.78
with the fish to the extent
that those boats began to sink.
00:24:48.82\00:24:52.82
But that's faith:
expecting God's Word to do
00:24:52.85\00:24:56.16
what it says it will do.
00:24:56.19\00:24:57.63
Peter doubted
that they'd catch fish,
00:24:57.66\00:25:00.30
but he acted on the word of God.
00:25:00.33\00:25:03.50
When you do that, when
you put God's Word first
00:25:03.53\00:25:06.50
and expect it
to do what it says,
00:25:06.53\00:25:08.64
when you're concerned
about the honor of God,
00:25:08.67\00:25:11.64
that's when God is
able to do great things.
00:25:11.67\00:25:15.44
Now, Müller gave four
points for growing your faith:
00:25:15.48\00:25:19.61
One, carefully read the
Bible and meditate upon it.
00:25:19.65\00:25:24.45
Two, maintain an upright
heart and a good conscience.
00:25:24.49\00:25:29.12
Three, let your faith be tested.
00:25:29.16\00:25:32.63
Don't run from that.
00:25:32.66\00:25:34.36
And four, let God work for you.
00:25:34.36\00:25:38.00
Don't trust in
yourself, but trust in God.
00:25:38.03\00:25:41.84
When George Müller died,
00:25:43.51\00:25:45.31
Bristol came to a standstill.
00:25:45.34\00:25:47.81
Factories closed.
00:25:47.84\00:25:50.15
Thousands of people came
out to pay their respects
00:25:50.18\00:25:52.48
to a onetime thief and
drunk who gave his life to God
00:25:52.51\00:25:56.48
and believed that God
was able to do great things.
00:25:56.52\00:26:00.16
He said, "The
God whom I dishonored
00:26:00.19\00:26:03.02
by my wicked behavior
and unrepentant [life]
00:26:03.06\00:26:06.19
[did not give] up on me."
00:26:06.23\00:26:08.00
He died at the age of
92. He's buried right here,
00:26:08.03\00:26:11.67
just two and a half miles from
the orphanages he established.
00:26:11.70\00:26:16.34
When you take a
close look at Bristol,
00:26:16.37\00:26:18.71
you see a man of great faith,
00:26:18.74\00:26:20.78
a man of great
faith in a great God.
00:26:20.81\00:26:24.31
>>John: The book of Revelation
describes God's last-day people
00:26:25.68\00:26:28.65
as people of faith.
00:26:28.68\00:26:30.49
Find out how you can have faith
to stand in earth's last days.
00:26:30.52\00:26:33.82
Call now and ask
for today's free offer,
00:26:33.86\00:26:36.83
"Faith When It Matters."
00:26:36.86\00:26:38.49
To receive
"Faith When It Matters,"
00:26:38.53\00:26:40.00
call 800-253-3000.
00:26:40.03\00:26:42.80
You can also visit us online,
00:26:42.83\00:26:44.57
write to the
address on your screen,
00:26:44.60\00:26:46.43
or text "freefaith" to 71392.
00:26:46.47\00:26:50.44
"Faith When It Matters,"
00:26:50.47\00:26:51.97
request your free copy now.
00:26:52.01\00:26:54.34
>>John: Let me
pray with you now.
00:26:56.38\00:26:57.98
Our Father in heaven,
00:26:58.01\00:26:59.31
I thank You for Jesus
and for the gift of faith
00:26:59.35\00:27:02.25
and that we can have
faith in You, a great God.
00:27:02.28\00:27:05.82
We thank You for Calvary.
We have faith to believe
00:27:05.85\00:27:08.12
that that was for us.
00:27:08.16\00:27:09.62
We thank You for Jesus.
00:27:09.66\00:27:10.93
We have faith to
believe that He died for us.
00:27:10.96\00:27:13.33
We thank You for
the return of Jesus,
00:27:13.36\00:27:15.73
and we have faith to believe
that He is coming back for us.
00:27:15.76\00:27:18.30
Friend, how's your faith?
00:27:18.33\00:27:20.30
Can you believe
that Jesus died for you,
00:27:20.34\00:27:22.10
that He's coming back for you,
00:27:22.14\00:27:23.17
that He is with
you at all times?
00:27:23.20\00:27:25.54
The Bible says it, and therefore
we can expect it to be so.
00:27:25.57\00:27:29.41
Our Father, again, we
thank You; we praise You.
00:27:29.44\00:27:31.91
We thank You for the example
of men and women of faith.
00:27:31.95\00:27:34.65
We thank You for
Your faithfulness.
00:27:34.68\00:27:36.99
In Jesus' name. Amen.
00:27:37.02\00:27:40.32
Thank you so
much for joining me.
00:27:40.36\00:27:41.76
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:41.79\00:27:43.66
Until then, remember:
00:27:43.69\00:27:45.33
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:45.36\00:27:49.30
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:49.33\00:27:53.30
¤[dramatic,
triumphant theme music]¤
00:27:53.34\00:27:57.34
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:28:25.83\00:28:27.84