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Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC201633A
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01:31 >> It has stood the test of time -- 01:35 God's book, the Bible. Still relevant in today's 01:41 complex world. "It Is Written" -- 01:46 Sharing messages of hope around the world. 01:52 ♪♪ ♪♪ >> On September the 1st, 1939, 02:06 Germany, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, attacked and invaded Poland. 02:12 Just days later, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. 02:16 The nations of the Commonwealth -- Australia, Canada, South Africa, and 02:21 New Zealand -- followed suit and declared war on Germany, as well. 02:25 The Soviet Union, which had signed a pact with Germany not to invade, also joined the war 02:31 through that pact, and thus began World War II. The greatest atrocity of 02:39 World War II was Nazi Germany's preoccupation with creating what they called the superior 02:46 Aryan race. They wanted to accomplish this by eliminating any humans that 02:52 were thought of as substandard and not worthy of life. Now, this included the 02:58 extermination of around 6 million Jews, almost 3 million Polish, and 4 million more of a 03:06 variety of dispositions -- that were mentally disabled, those who were physically disabled, 03:12 homosexuals, Gypsies, and Jehovah Witnesses. That is just to name a few. 03:19 Many of these individuals died in the concentration camps that Germany had set up across 03:25 Europe. This travesty of history in the unfolding of time on this 03:32 earth is only brightened by the remarkable stories of individuals who did all they 03:38 could to save their fellow human beings. One such story happened in 03:44 Haarlem, Netherlands. There in Haarlem was a clock-and-watch shop. 03:51 It had operated for over 100 years. It was started by a man 03:56 by the name of Willem, and then it was passed on to his son, Casper. 04:01 Now, this watch shop would become the source of one of the most phenomenal stories of 04:06 rescue seen during all of World War II. Now, Casper had a daughter by 04:14 the name of Corrie. She was a woman with a compassionate heart, and she 04:18 worked with the disabled. She taught them, she cared for them, and she worked for their 04:23 betterment. However, in 1940, Nazi Germany, which to that point had left 04:29 their Dutch neighbors alone, invaded the Netherlands and changed everything. 04:34 Corrie was no longer permitted to work with the disabled. And as the disabled were 04:40 persecuted, even more the persecution of the Jews came front and center 04:45 there in the Netherlands. Now, an interesting note is that Corrie had been the first 04:50 licensed watchmaker in the Netherlands. So even after Germany's 04:55 occupation of the Netherlands, she continued her work in the watch shop, repairing and making 05:01 watches. Corrie, though, especially took note of the singling out of the 05:07 Jews by the Nazis. An opportunity presented itself there, though, at the watch shop 05:14 to help a Jew who was fleeing from the Germans. So this family took in this 05:20 refugee and provided safe passage. This would be the first of many 05:26 Jews who would end up at this home and watch shop, where they would be provided a place of 05:33 refuge as a persecuted people. This amazingly small home with a watch shop attached to it would 05:41 become a place of refuge, and it grew in its tenants rather quickly. 05:46 One became two, and two became three, and so on and so forth. And so the ten Boom family 05:54 and their watch shop, their home, became one of the bright spots of a perilous time. 06:01 This Christian family -- Corrie ten Boom, her father and sister -- dedicated themselves 06:07 to the rescue of a persecuted people. Now, over the course of the 06:12 remainder of the war, between the ten Boom house and those who worked with them in the 06:17 underground, over 800 Jews were saved from certain death. Now, with the continued 06:27 occupation of the Netherlands by Nazi Germany, and the sheer numbers passing through their 06:33 home, it became necessary that the ten Booms would build a secret room in their home to 06:39 hide the Jews if there ever happened to be a raid on their home. 06:44 And so, through a set of miraculous circumstances and happenings, they built a false 06:50 wall in the bedroom of Corrie. There, they created a space for hiding if there was ever a raid. 06:56 This hiding place, as it was called, was 2 meters by 70 centimeters -- about 07:02 6 feet by just over 2 feet. Now, I want you to think about that. 07:07 This is a very small quarters for a place to hide six to seven people. 07:13 But however small it was, it provided a place of safety and refuge 07:17 in the midst of a raid. Now, those that were staying in the home would practice and 07:22 practice, along with the family, to be able to clear all evidence from the home that would lead 07:27 anyone to believe that there was more than just the family living there. 07:31 And so the refugees would clear their places, get to the hiding place, and there hide. 07:37 Now, in the case of a raid, a bell would be rung. Everyone would clear all the 07:42 various items and would make it to the hiding place, that no one would know that others were 07:49 there in the home. And there in that hiding place, they found safety. 07:53 Now, there was a very important note, though. There was an all-clear sign. 08:00 It was an appointed sign to not come out until that all-clear sign was given. 08:05 And so after all the practicing they did, they were able to have themselves, the Jews in 08:11 particular, safely stashed away in the hiding place in mere moments, without a trace of 08:17 anyone else in the home. Now, as fate would have it, one such raid occurred on 08:23 February the 20th, 1944. Now, what made this raid so terrible is that the ten Boom 08:29 family was betrayed by an individual who set them up and deceived them. 08:35 This individual had come looking for help, looking for ration cards that they might have. 08:41 They were looking for money, that they might find a way of escape. 08:45 But that individual betrayed them into the hands of the Nazis, and so the raid came. 08:50 But the buzzer was able to be sounded, the signal was set forth. 08:55 They went into action to get into the hiding place. Now, although the ten Booms were 09:01 betrayed into the hands of the Nazis, their six refugees were able to safely get into the 09:06 hiding place without any detection of their persecutors. The Nazis searched the home high 09:13 and low, and they couldn't find the hidden refugees. However, in their search of the 09:17 home, they did find extra ration cards -- ration cards that the ten Booms shouldn't have had. 09:25 So they were then able to arrest the ten Booms, and the ten Boom family was taken to a 09:30 concentration camp. However, there in that hiding place, 09:35 two Jewish men, two Jewish women, and two underground workers remained hidden 09:41 from the Nazis. The reality is that they remained hidden in that hiding 09:45 place, that hiding place of 6 feet by 2 feet, for over 47 hours. 09:53 2 meters by 70 centimeters. Think about that for a moment. Six individuals in such a small 09:59 place. But they waited. They waited, trusting, for the 10:04 appointed sign to let them know that the appointed time had come for them to come out 10:10 of the hiding place. But the Nazis, they remained in the home, preventing such a sign 10:16 from happening. However, some of the local police had begun working with 10:20 the underground, and they were a part of the resistance. So they were able to go to the 10:25 home, relieve the Nazi troops, and take over the guarding of the house. 10:31 When the call came, and when the police did this, they were able to give those who were in hiding 10:36 the all-clear sign. There was an appointed time, that came about with an 10:42 appointed sign, and they knew they could come out of hiding. In due time, that appointed sign 10:48 came, and when it did, these individuals were rescued. Now, you can read the rest of 10:54 the amazing stories of this home, this home of refuge, in a book called "The Hiding Place." 11:01 Now, although Corrie ten Boom was imprisoned in a concentration camp, she also 11:05 received word of the refugees' safety. You see, there was also an 11:10 appointed sign to let her know all that had happened. And so she was brought this 11:16 message -- "All the watches in your cabinet are safe." 11:21 And with that, Corrie ten Boom knew that those who were in hiding were now in a safe place. 11:31 An appointed time. Could it be that this amazing story has in it a lesson for 11:38 God's people in this time and in these days? Could it be that God Himself has 11:44 an appointed time of salvation, and He has appointed times of intervention to prepare us 11:51 for that day? Now, I want you to journey with me back in time -- further back 11:56 in time than World War II. In fact, we're going to go back almost 4,000 years. 12:03 There was a man, and his name was Terah, and he was the son of Nahor, a descendant of Shem, 12:09 who was the son of Noah. Now, as you may well remember from the story of Abraham -- 12:16 Abram, as his name was at the time. Abram was the son of Terah, 12:22 and God's blessing of having a people descend through Seth would be unbroken with a promise 12:30 to Abram to establish a people. Now, Terah and his sons lived in Ur of the Chaldeans. 12:37 Ur was a well-established city. It had beautiful homes that included wonderful courtyards. 12:43 Now, there is evidence that Ur was a place of high society. Now, what made this city an 12:49 additionally attractive city was that it had an excellent sewage system. 12:54 It was a desirable locale. Now, archaeological findings give us evidence that this 12:59 sophisticated city of high society and beauty was also a place of superior education. 13:07 However, it was also a place of polytheistic worship. Yet even amidst these 13:14 polytheistic pagans, God had a plan. And he would not allow Abram to 13:20 be corrupted by the pagan influences surrounding him. So God called Abraham 13:25 to come out. He called him to go to the land of Canaan. 13:30 God had an appointed time and an appointed place for Abram. The Bible records God's 13:36 instructions to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3. 14:11 Through Abram would come the Messiah, the Messiah who would be a blessing to all peoples 14:18 of the earth. Now, Genesis 12:4 has this simple statement of faith -- 14:31 My dear friends, here's the key point. Don't miss this, now. 14:34 Although God has an appointed time for each of us, it requires us to follow Him by faith. 14:42 God's promise to Abram was that he would become a great nation. But not merely great for 14:48 greatness' sake -- he would become great because of all the families on the earth 14:54 being blessed by him. Now, how is that possible? Because through Abram, the 15:00 promise of the Messiah, the perfect Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, 15:05 He would be born through the lineage of Abraham. By faith, Abram lived according 15:12 to the promise of God. Yet time tarried. Now, there is no doubt that 15:21 questions may have arisen in Abram's mind. How was this plan going to 15:25 manifest itself? Abram was 75 years old, after all. 15:30 Now, after some years had passed, God came to Abraham and reminded him. 15:35 That reminder is found in Genesis, the 15th chapter. 16:39 Now, imagine Abram's worry. How was he to bless the nations when he had no heir? 16:45 God reminded him of the promise, and said, "Not only would you have an heir, but you will have 16:51 a family that is as numbered as the stars of the sky." Friend, have you ever stared up 16:57 into the sky on a night where there are not a lot of lights around you? 17:01 Have you allowed your eyes to adjust to the darkness and then see the vastness of the stars? 17:08 It is almost mind-boggling to stare off into space and see the thousands and 17:14 thousands of galaxies, planets, and stars. But God promised Abram that his 17:20 family would number more than the stars of the sky. And through the promise of the 17:25 appointed time, and though it tarried, Abram was faithful. Now, however, unfortunately, 17:34 as the tarrying continued for Abram, eventually he took matters into his own hand. 17:39 He and Sarai did not trust in God's way, and because they saw no heir coming, they tried to 17:46 self-produce an heir through Sarah's servant, Hagar. And a son -- a son was born, 17:53 indeed, but not according to the promise that God had given. Now, you know, it's easy to 17:58 point the finger at Abram and Sarai and say, "Why'd you do that?" 18:04 But can't we all relate? Can't we all relate when impatience leads to 18:10 distrust in God? And then we take matters into our own hands. 18:14 This is what Abram and Sarai did. Yet, even in the midst of this 18:19 astonishing failure, God was still faithful. And the reality is, friend, 18:24 that He will be faithful to you even in the midst of tremendous failure. 18:30 So now, at the age of 99, God made a covenant with Abraham, a promise to Abraham 18:37 that he would bear a son. Now, at 99 years old, a full 24-years after the 18:44 original promise, Abram repented, and Abraham was faithful. 18:51 Friend, are you wondering if God hears your prayers? Are you wondering if God will 18:55 fulfill His promise in your life? The story of Abraham teaches us 19:00 that God is faithful. He will be faithful to you. The story of Abraham 19:05 is so simple. God has appointed times and is faithful. 19:10 So you stay faithful to Him. Now, Genesis 18 then brings about one of the most amazing 19:17 experiences in the entirety of the Scriptures. Two angels, along with the Lord, 19:23 came to visit Abraham. And as Abraham shared a meal with the heavenly visitors, 19:28 he was then given an amazing promise, found in Genesis 18:10. 19:46 Can you picture Abraham? Abraham, I'm sure, was amazed, and Sarah, in her tent, laughed 19:52 at the prospect of bearing a son at the ripe old age of 100. Now, we need to understand, 19:59 because automatically we think, "Oh, well, people in the Bible live longer, and so this is not 20:03 out of the ordinary." No, friends. We must realize that in the 20:07 previous six generations, the oldest reported birth was that of Terah's sons when 20:13 Terah was 70 years old. It hadn't been since the time of Shem where a child was born to 20:20 someone at the age of 100. Six generations. No evidence of a child being 20:27 born at such an age. But God reminded Abraham, and He encouraged Sarah, 20:34 and He said this -- 20:39 So, friend, is there anything too hard for the Lord? Is there anything that God 20:44 cannot do? My dear friends, God is faithful. 20:48 If you're struggling, God promises that with Him, we can do all things. 20:53 But without Him, we can do nothing. He promises that He will never 20:57 leave us or forsake us. Dear friend, Jesus is reaching out his nail-pierced 21:02 hand of grace and love, and extends the promise to you. No matter what you face, 21:09 nothing is too hard for the Lord. Are you facing a divorce? 21:13 Are you facing a terminal disease? Are you facing depression, 21:17 distress, anxiety? Are you facing financial problems? 21:21 Are you facing relationship issues? The Bible promises nothing 21:27 is too hard for God. And so then the Lord went on to say to Abraham and Sarah... 21:44 The appointed time. In Hebrew, it is the word moade. 21:49 In Greek, it is the word kairos. It literally is translated 21:55 a set time, a fixed time, a determined time. An appointed sign. 22:00 A decisive moment. A time appointed for the purpose of God, or the time appointed 22:08 to meet God. You see, in the Bible, God has appointed times. 22:13 Decisive moments in history that He has determined to bring about His purpose. 22:19 And throughout the Scriptures -- and don't miss this -- the more fully the end is in 22:25 sight, and the more urgent it is that the appointed time is needed to be met and 22:31 recognized... The more fully the end is in sight, the more fully the 22:37 Second Coming of Christ is in sight, the more urgent it is that the appointed time be 22:42 recognized and met. You see, too often, mankind puts off God's appointed time. 22:48 In Acts 24:25, Felix said this to Paul -- 22:58 You see, God's appointed time does not work at our time of convenience, but at His 23:04 appointed times in the master plan of saving the universe and, more important, in the saving of 23:10 you as an individual. My dear friend, He is for you, and He is calling upon you to 23:17 watch. To watch for and fulfill His appointed time. 23:22 Because here's the reality -- and it is the key to a life of service -- God is and always 23:29 will be faithful. Abraham was promised a son. No longer could he work 23:34 according to his own plan, but now he must work in accordance with God's plan. 23:39 God's appointed time. It's not a time to laugh, not a time to scoff. 23:44 It's not a time to put it off. It's not a time to wait for convenience. 23:48 But we must prayerfully consider God's appointed times to be fulfilled in our lives. 23:54 For Sarah and Abraham, they recognized this divine and determined promise. 24:00 And Sarah, in a miracle of miracles, conceived a son. And the life of Abraham is a 24:07 testimony of the reality that God has appointed times throughout our life in 24:12 preparation for the ultimate appointed time, when Jesus will come again. 24:17 Isaac was born at the appointed time. And appointed time after 24:23 appointed time was used to fulfill the life of the Son of Promise. 24:28 At the appointed time, God provided a ram in the thicket 24:32 because He provides our sacrifice. At the appointed time and in the 24:36 appointed place, when Isaac needed a wife, Rebecca was found back in Mesopotamia. 24:43 At an appointed time, Jacob, Isaac's son, was saved from the wrath of his brother to return 24:49 also to Mesopotamia at the appointed place to find his wife. 24:55 My dear friends, God has an appointed time when He will return to this earth. 25:01 The promise of Daniel 11:35 says this -- 25:23 Don't miss this. It's important. It is the key. God has appointed times 25:29 in your life, He has appointed times in my life to prepare each of us for 25:35 that day, the ultimate appointed time, when Jesus will return. God utilizes these important 25:43 times in our lives, appointed times, where he's able to accomplish his purpose. 25:49 And, friends, just as Abraham didn't always understand why, we too may not understand why 25:57 these appointed times happen in our lives. But the promise is true. 26:03 And His promise today is for you. His promise is throughout 26:09 Scripture, and they are true for you. Let's pray. 26:16 Heavenly Father, we are so grateful that You have appointed times in each of our lives to 26:22 prepare us for the appointed time of Jesus' soon return. We ask and we pray that you 26:29 would make us ready, that we would see those appointed times, that we would answer those 26:35 appointed times, and we would be faithful, just as You will always be faithful to us. 26:44 We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 26:50 Dear friends, God has appointed times throughout history to prepare his people for the 26:57 Second Coming of Jesus. Today I want to offer you the "Focus on Prophecy" lessons. 27:02 These lessons will walk you through the history of God's appointed times, where He has 27:09 been faithful to His people to prepare them for that end. As you read these lessons, they 27:17 will help you to study the Scriptures. Your relationship with Jesus 27:22 will grow deeper. You will see a picture of the love and grace of God, 27:27 and how He's doing everything to save you. Here's the information you need 27:33 to receive today's offer. >> To request today's offer, 27:37 just log on to www.ItIsWrittenCanada.ca -- 27:42 That's www.ItIsWrittenCanada.ca -- 27:47 and select the "TV Program" tab. For Canadian viewers, the offer 27:52 will be sent free and postage-paid. 27:55 For viewers outside of Canada, shipping charges will apply. 27:59 If you prefer, you may call toll-free at 1-888-CALL-IIW. 28:05 That's 1-888-CALL-IIW. Call any time. 28:10 Lines are open 24 hours daily. That's 1-888-CALL-IIW. 28:17 Or, if you wish, you may write to us at It Is Written, 28:21 Box 2010, Oshawa, Ontario, L1H7V4. 28:26 And thank you for your prayer requests and your generous 28:30 financial support. That's It Is Written, 28:33 Box 2010, Oshawa, Ontario, L1H7V4. >> My dear friends, those six 28:42 refugees waited in the hiding place for the appointed sign and the appointed time to come out. 28:50 And by doing so, they were brought to safety. Abraham was given an appointed 28:55 time when the Lord would return. God was faithful, Abraham was faithful, 29:01 and the son was born. God has appointed times throughout history to prepare 29:07 His people for the soon coming of Jesus. My dear friend, if you want more 29:12 resources to help prepare you for that day, go to ItIsWrittenCanada.ca. 29:18 I'm so glad you joined us today. I invite you to join us again next week. 29:24 Until then, remember, it is written, "Man shall not live by bread 29:30 alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." 29:39 ♪♪ ♪♪ 29:59 ♪♪ ♪♪ |
Revised 2017-12-06