¤ ¤
00:00:01.36\00:00:08.47
This is Oxford, England,
one of the world's most famous
00:00:08.50\00:00:12.01
university cities. It's a
beautiful privileged place
00:00:12.04\00:00:17.15
steeped in history and studded
with august buildings. The
00:00:17.18\00:00:21.82
elegant, honey colored
buildings of the university's
00:00:21.85\00:00:25.25
colleges wrap around tranquil
courtyards that are meticulously
00:00:25.29\00:00:31.03
manicured and maintained. The
city's famed spires twirl into
00:00:31.06\00:00:35.93
the sky above. The magnificent
architecture of the 38 colleges
00:00:35.96\00:00:40.70
and the city's medieval center
led to its nickname The City of
00:00:40.74\00:00:45.87
Dreaming Spires. Oxford is a
wonderful place to wander. The
00:00:45.91\00:00:52.18
narrow cobblestone lanes take
you on a journey back through
00:00:52.21\00:00:56.22
the centuries as you cross old
stone bridges and pass some of
00:00:56.25\00:01:00.86
the most famous landmarks
in Britain. But not all the
00:01:00.89\00:01:05.19
cobblestone streets in Oxford
lead to places of romance and
00:01:05.23\00:01:09.70
beauty. One led to a place of
execution and death. This small
00:01:09.73\00:01:16.84
area of cobblestones forming
a cross in the center of Broad
00:01:16.87\00:01:19.91
Street beside one of Oxford's
most famous colleges marks the
00:01:19.94\00:01:25.35
site where three men were led
and publicly executed. It was
00:01:25.38\00:01:31.35
right here that the Oxford
martyrs were tied to a stake,
00:01:31.39\00:01:34.79
wood piled up around them, bags
of gunpowder placed around their
00:01:34.82\00:01:39.69
necks and burned alive. Who were
these men? And why did they die?
00:01:39.73\00:01:46.47
Well their story will surprise,
shock and inspire you. Make sure
00:01:46.50\00:01:53.34
you stay tuned for our
program Standing in the Circle.
00:01:53.38\00:01:58.51
¤ ¤
00:01:58.55\00:02:14.53
Oxford is located about 80 km
northwest of London in central
00:02:14.56\00:02:18.63
southern England and
revolves around its prestigious
00:02:18.67\00:02:22.20
university which was recently
ranked as the best in the world.
00:02:22.24\00:02:27.14
Oxford University is the oldest
university in Britain and the
00:02:27.18\00:02:33.01
second oldest in the world.
Scholars have been studying here
00:02:33.05\00:02:36.75
for nearly 1000 years. What many
people don't know is that this
00:02:36.79\00:02:43.12
place was once a hotbed of
religious revolution. It was
00:02:43.16\00:02:48.06
in Oxford and at Cambridge
University that the ideas of
00:02:48.10\00:02:52.63
Martin Luther and John Calvin,
the ideas of the protestant
00:02:52.67\00:02:56.71
reformation began to transform
the minds and hearts of the
00:02:56.74\00:03:00.68
English people. They began to
study the Bible and follow its
00:03:00.71\00:03:05.11
teachings. As they studied the
Bible they discovered the good
00:03:05.15\00:03:09.18
news that God is a God of love
and that salvation is a gift,
00:03:09.22\00:03:14.82
that people are saved by
believing in Jesus and accepting
00:03:14.86\00:03:18.99
him as their Savior. They found
peace with God and came close
00:03:19.03\00:03:24.30
to him. The Bible and its
message became important in
00:03:24.33\00:03:28.60
people's lives. The context of
this spiritual awakening was the
00:03:28.64\00:03:33.78
religious and political upheaval
that took place when King Henry
00:03:33.81\00:03:39.71
VIII separated the Church of
England from the Roman Catholic
00:03:39.75\00:03:43.75
Church. At this time reformation
ideas gained a foothold in
00:03:43.79\00:03:47.72
Britain and particularly here
at Oxford. On Henry's death his
00:03:47.76\00:03:53.16
young son Edward became king.
Many of Edward's advisors tried
00:03:53.19\00:03:58.60
to move the English people
and the English church in the
00:03:58.63\00:04:02.17
direction of the reformation and
a more Bible-based Christianity.
00:04:02.20\00:04:06.71
Among these royal advisors were
three prominent university men.
00:04:06.74\00:04:13.31
Nicholas Ridley was a brilliant
scholar who had been palace
00:04:13.35\00:04:19.19
chaplain to King Henry VIII and
was Bishop of London under his
00:04:19.22\00:04:23.49
son Edward VI. He was popular
with the ordinary people and his
00:04:23.53\00:04:28.16
live portrayed the truth of the
Christian teachings he taught.
00:04:28.20\00:04:32.27
In his own household he
had daily Bible readings and
00:04:32.30\00:04:36.91
encouraged the people to
memorize passages of the Bible
00:04:36.94\00:04:40.54
and establish a personal
relationship with God. Hugh
00:04:40.58\00:04:46.88
Latimer was a powerful and
influential preacher under King
00:04:46.92\00:04:50.52
Edward's reign. He boldly
proclaimed Bible truth from the
00:04:50.55\00:04:54.56
pulpit. He knew his Bible
well and his sermons encouraged
00:04:54.59\00:04:59.09
people to serve
00:04:59.13\00:05:00.46
God with a true heart and
inward affection, not just
00:05:00.50\00:05:04.00
with outward show. He practiced
what he preached and spent a lot
00:05:04.03\00:05:08.94
of time helping the poor
and visiting inmates in prison.
00:05:08.97\00:05:12.67
Another university friend Thomas
Cranmer traveled to Germany to
00:05:12.71\00:05:18.15
learn more about the teachings
of Martin Luther. On his return
00:05:18.18\00:05:21.75
to England he became an
able churchman and leader of the
00:05:21.78\00:05:25.89
English reformation eventually
carrying out church reforms as
00:05:25.92\00:05:30.69
the first protestant Archbishop
of Canterbury. These three
00:05:30.73\00:05:35.30
university men worked
hard to free their church from
00:05:35.33\00:05:39.80
superstition and dead tradition.
When King Edward VI died at the
00:05:39.83\00:05:45.51
age of 15, Mary, his half sister
became Queen of England in 1553.
00:05:45.54\00:05:53.31
Now Mary was a devout Roman
Catholic and she worked hard to
00:05:53.35\00:05:57.35
to bring England back to
the Roman Catholic church. She
00:05:57.39\00:06:01.39
wanted to reverse the protestant
reformation launched by her
00:06:01.42\00:06:05.43
father King Henry VIII and her
half-brother Edward VI. Moreover
00:06:05.46\00:06:11.60
it was Mary's mother Catherine
of Aragon who had been cast
00:06:11.63\00:06:15.84
aside by Henry VIII in favor
of Anne Boleyn. The annulled
00:06:15.87\00:06:20.78
marriage of her parents made
Mary an illegitimate child. So
00:06:20.81\00:06:25.85
she had extra reason to remain
staunchly Catholic and undo the
00:06:25.88\00:06:30.65
father's reforms and stamp out
Protestantism and its emphasis
00:06:30.69\00:06:34.89
on the Bible and she did this by
force, by persecution. She had
00:06:34.92\00:06:41.60
hundreds of people put to
death, often by fire, for their
00:06:41.63\00:06:46.40
religious convictions. To
history she became known as
00:06:46.43\00:06:50.91
Bloody Mary for the many
executions she ordered. One of
00:06:50.94\00:06:55.71
Mary's first acts as Queen was
to arrest the three university
00:06:55.74\00:06:59.71
men Ridley, Latimer and Cranmer.
Suddenly these prominent
00:06:59.75\00:07:04.99
reformers became heretics,
traitors and outcasts. Each one
00:07:05.02\00:07:11.66
was condemned to death and
executed here in Oxford. But
00:07:11.69\00:07:16.43
that's not what makes the Oxford
martyrs so unique. Hundreds of
00:07:16.46\00:07:20.60
others died for their faith
during the reign of Bloody Mary.
00:07:20.64\00:07:24.44
What is so remarkable about
these three individuals is how
00:07:24.47\00:07:29.24
they died, how they went to
the stake. These men met their
00:07:29.28\00:07:35.38
barbaric deaths with
extraordinary calm and
00:07:35.42\00:07:38.99
steadfastness. They'd become
justly famous for making such a
00:07:39.02\00:07:44.09
courageous stand for their faith
Now most of us would like to
00:07:44.13\00:07:48.36
assume they had enormous
strength as individuals. That
00:07:48.40\00:07:52.77
they were heroes who could stand
alone. But there's more to the
00:07:52.80\00:07:56.97
story than that. There's more to
their steadfastness than that.
00:07:57.01\00:08:01.24
And I'd like to share with you
just why their faith proved so
00:08:01.28\00:08:06.51
unshakeable. The people of
England who accepted the ideas
00:08:06.55\00:08:13.15
of the protestant reformation
in Europe met together in
00:08:13.19\00:08:17.23
English inns where they could
fellowship and study the Bible
00:08:17.26\00:08:20.80
undisturbed. Now although
Ridley Latimer and Cranmer are
00:08:20.83\00:08:25.97
remembered as the Oxford martyrs
they were actually all students
00:08:26.00\00:08:29.84
here at Cambridge University
which is just over 100 km from
00:08:29.87\00:08:35.38
Oxford. A favorite meeting
place of these Bible students in
00:08:35.41\00:08:40.05
Cambridge was the White
Horse Inn. The budding reformers
00:08:40.08\00:08:44.05
nicknamed it Little Germany
because the reformation had
00:08:44.09\00:08:47.29
begun in that country. These men
spoke together for long hours
00:08:47.32\00:08:51.99
into the night. Often
the windows were shuttered.
00:08:52.03\00:08:55.10
Sometimes they had to look
carefully who came through the
00:08:55.13\00:08:59.30
door. But their conversations
about Bible truths and the
00:08:59.33\00:09:04.11
meaning of the good news about
Jesus were always animated. Now
00:09:04.14\00:09:08.88
we often picture martyrs as
people who stand alone. They
00:09:08.91\00:09:13.31
stand along for their
convictions. For most of us
00:09:13.35\00:09:17.12
that's close to a definition of
a religious hero. Martyrs stand
00:09:17.15\00:09:22.86
against the time. They stand
steadfast when everyone seems
00:09:22.89\00:09:27.46
to be against them. They cling
to the truth when the church
00:09:27.50\00:09:31.80
teachings to error and wanders
from the teachings of the Bible.
00:09:31.83\00:09:36.81
Martyrs stand alone. Well
I'd like to suggest that this
00:09:36.84\00:09:40.88
popular conception can be very
misleading. It doesn't give us
00:09:40.91\00:09:45.18
an accurate picture of religious
heroes. Above all, it doesn't
00:09:45.21\00:09:49.85
give us an accurate picture of
their unshakeable faith. Ridley,
00:09:49.88\00:09:54.69
Latimer and Cranmer did have to
stand against the tide of church
00:09:54.72\00:09:59.66
corruption and error but they
didn't stand alone. They didn't
00:09:59.69\00:10:04.23
find their strength as solitary
heroes. This story makes one
00:10:04.27\00:10:09.50
thing clear. These men stood
steadfast because they stood
00:10:09.54\00:10:14.71
in a circle. They found their
inner strength in a very intense
00:10:14.74\00:10:20.08
kind of fellowship. They found
their strength by opening the
00:10:20.12\00:10:24.59
Bible together and studying
together and praying together.
00:10:24.62\00:10:28.72
That's what happened at places
like the White Horse Inn. At one
00:10:28.76\00:10:34.03
point Ridley had to appear
before the Bishop of Lincoln to
00:10:34.06\00:10:37.63
explain his views. The
Bishop threatened him with
00:10:37.67\00:10:40.54
excommunication, being cut
off from the so called one Holy
00:10:40.57\00:10:45.61
Church. But notice what
Ridley said in response:
00:10:45.64\00:10:49.64
Yes, Ridley and his companions
did have to make a stand against
00:11:08.66\00:11:13.77
the practices of the church of
their day. But they never felt
00:11:13.80\00:11:17.17
they were above the need
for fellowship. They never stood
00:11:17.21\00:11:20.64
against the need to belong to
a body of believers. These men
00:11:20.68\00:11:25.61
wanted to reform and purify
the church, not destroy it. They
00:11:25.65\00:11:31.39
were fundamentally men who
built up. They followed Paul's
00:11:31.42\00:11:35.29
admonition in
Hebrews chapter 10:
00:11:35.32\00:11:38.16
These English reformers
understood their need to meet
00:11:52.91\00:11:57.15
together for mutual
encouragement. In fact, they
00:11:57.18\00:12:01.18
built up Christian fellowship
wherever they went, even here in
00:12:01.22\00:12:06.05
the Tower of London. After Queen
Mary came to the throne Ridley,
00:12:06.09\00:12:15.63
Latimer and Cranmer were
all sent to the tower of London.
00:12:15.66\00:12:18.93
They were kept in separate cells
but they managed to send letters
00:12:18.97\00:12:22.50
back and forth. These men
were still working out the
00:12:22.54\00:12:27.11
implications of Bible teachings.
Remember they were early
00:12:27.14\00:12:31.48
pioneers in the reformation.
They were just beginning to
00:12:31.51\00:12:35.28
challenge the teachings of the
medieval church and so they kept
00:12:35.32\00:12:40.56
sharing insights, passing along
verses of scripture, refining
00:12:40.59\00:12:44.66
their beliefs. They communicated
their views responding back and
00:12:44.69\00:12:49.60
forth. And after many months
of physical isolation the day
00:12:49.63\00:12:55.77
came when these men were allowed
to stay together in the tower.
00:12:55.80\00:12:59.57
Now there could be no hindrance
to their fellowship. Latimer
00:12:59.61\00:13:05.01
referred to the joyful
experience in this way:
00:13:05.05\00:13:08.48
So how did these men spearhead
the reformation in England? By
00:13:39.18\00:13:43.55
studying God's word together.
By praying together. They stood
00:13:43.59\00:13:47.99
in a circle based on scripture.
They discovered truth in a
00:13:48.02\00:13:53.90
circle. That's the second thing
we need to understand about
00:13:53.93\00:13:58.03
these religious heroes. They
didn't assume they could come up
00:13:58.07\00:14:01.80
with the whole truth and nothing
but the truth individually on
00:14:01.84\00:14:05.87
their own. They didn't conduct
a private search for the truth.
00:14:05.91\00:14:10.91
They looked for more truth
together in the study of God's
00:14:10.95\00:14:14.98
word and so they grew together.
These men experienced the kind
00:14:15.02\00:14:19.72
of fellowship that the Apostle
Peter described in I Peter
00:14:19.75\00:14:23.96
chapter 1 verses 22 and 23:
00:14:23.99\00:14:27.66
We stand in a circle when we
obey the truth together. That
00:14:43.41\00:14:49.08
creates a special bond of love.
We stand in a circle on the
00:14:49.12\00:14:54.09
imperishable word of God.
That's how our faith grows into
00:14:54.12\00:14:59.43
something unshakeable. In early
1554 the three reformers were
00:14:59.46\00:15:05.57
transferred from London to
Oxford and imprisoned in the
00:15:05.60\00:15:09.27
Bocardo Prison, the Oxford town
prison which was located here
00:15:09.30\00:15:14.54
near the St. Michael of the
Northgate Church at the north
00:15:14.58\00:15:19.31
gate of the city wall. The door
of their cell is on display in
00:15:19.35\00:15:23.45
the tower of the church. In
April 1554 they were summoned
00:15:23.49\00:15:29.72
to stand trial and were
interrogated separately herein
00:15:29.76\00:15:33.19
the University Church of
St. Mary the Virgin. They were
00:15:33.23\00:15:37.23
pressed to disavow their
belief in the Bible and their
00:15:37.27\00:15:40.44
protestant beliefs but refused.
They were sentenced to death
00:15:40.47\00:15:45.17
by burning. On October 16, 1555
Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer
00:15:45.21\00:15:54.12
were led along the streets
of Oxford toward the place of
00:15:54.15\00:15:57.52
execution. Ridley wore a black
gown ornamented with fur and a
00:15:57.55\00:16:02.39
velvet shoulder cape. He was in
good spirits. He had decided to
00:16:02.42\00:16:07.10
look his best for this occasion
when he would make the ultimate
00:16:07.13\00:16:11.03
sacrifice, when he would
experience a special bond with
00:16:11.07\00:16:14.70
Christ in suffering. He was
going with style and dignity to
00:16:14.74\00:16:19.27
his execution. Latimer was
dressed more simply but he too
00:16:19.31\00:16:24.45
walked along rather cheerfully
though quite feeble now in his
00:16:24.48\00:16:28.62
old age. Town officials
made sure there were plenty of
00:16:28.65\00:16:32.35
soldiers stationed by these
streets to prevent any rescue
00:16:32.39\00:16:36.56
or protests that sympathetic
citizens might attempt. Finally
00:16:36.59\00:16:43.20
they arrived here at the
execution location marked today
00:16:43.23\00:16:47.37
by a cobblestone cross. In 1555
the place of the execution lay
00:16:47.40\00:16:53.64
outside the north wall in wide
ditch. Ridley had been subjected
00:16:53.68\00:16:59.28
to a ceremony of degradation
the day before when all his
00:16:59.31\00:17:03.39
religious offices and honors
were taken away. Latimer had
00:17:03.42\00:17:08.62
been publicly disgraced
years before. The doomed men had
00:17:08.66\00:17:13.09
nothing left in terms of worldly
support but there was one thing
00:17:13.13\00:17:18.30
no one could take away from
them and that was their bond of
00:17:18.33\00:17:22.80
faith in Jesus Christ. They were
still standing in the circle.
00:17:22.84\00:17:28.88
When the soldiers led them into
the ditch where the terrible
00:17:28.91\00:17:33.05
fires would be, Ridley knelt
down by the stake, kissed it and
00:17:33.08\00:17:38.62
began to pray. Latimer knelt
beside him and prayed too, with
00:17:38.65\00:17:44.73
great fervor. It was a scene
none of the spectators would
00:17:44.76\00:17:49.03
ever forget. A church official
began to speak to the crowd. He
00:17:49.06\00:17:54.14
warned of the grave errors
into which these two so-called
00:17:54.17\00:17:58.01
heretics had fallen. And while
his voice droned on Ridley and
00:17:58.04\00:18:03.31
Latimer had a few moments to
talk together. There they were
00:18:03.35\00:18:07.48
standing against the piles
of wood and the fearful stake
00:18:07.52\00:18:11.65
surrounded by soldiers and
church officials in imposing
00:18:11.69\00:18:15.62
robes. A man with a fiery torch
stood nearby ready. But the two
00:18:15.66\00:18:22.93
condemned men were talking
earnestly, encouraging each
00:18:22.96\00:18:26.57
other, keeping the light of
faith bright in each other's
00:18:26.60\00:18:30.97
eyes. They remembered the
old days at the White Horse Inn.
00:18:31.01\00:18:34.34
They remembered how thrilling
their discoveries had been, how
00:18:34.38\00:18:39.68
wonderful it was to see the good
news of Jesus in the Bible as if
00:18:39.71\00:18:43.85
for the very first time and
how wonderful it was to share it
00:18:43.89\00:18:48.46
with their family and friends.
Standing here beside the stake
00:18:48.49\00:18:54.66
Ridley and Latimer knew that
the joy of fellowship was still
00:18:54.70\00:18:58.50
theirs. They were still standing
in the circle. After the charges
00:18:58.53\00:19:04.17
had been read the two men asked
permission to speak. It was
00:19:04.21\00:19:08.84
denied unless they
recanted. Ridley replied:
00:19:08.88\00:19:13.15
The attending blacksmith then
chained the two men together to
00:19:25.49\00:19:30.37
the stake. Bags of gun powder
were then tied around their
00:19:30.40\00:19:35.00
necks so that death in the
flames might come more speedily.
00:19:35.04\00:19:39.44
Finally, a fiery torch was put
to the pier. It was then that
00:19:39.47\00:19:45.98
Latimer uttered
those famous words:
00:19:46.01\00:19:48.02
Thomas Cranmer was forced to
watch his friends suffer in the
00:20:05.50\00:20:09.70
flames and perhaps overwhelmed
by the death of his fellow
00:20:09.74\00:20:14.28
reformers he recanted his
protestant beliefs and the
00:20:14.31\00:20:17.28
truths of the Bible. However,
Queen Mary doubted his sincerity
00:20:17.31\00:20:22.38
and he was still burned right
here at the very same location
00:20:22.42\00:20:27.56
five months later. Before
he died Cranmer was allowed to
00:20:27.59\00:20:32.79
preach a final sermon here at
the University Church in central
00:20:32.83\00:20:38.57
Oxford. Standing in the pulpit
and addressing the priests he
00:20:38.60\00:20:41.64
rejected his earlier
recantations and denounced the
00:20:41.67\00:20:45.07
errors of the medieval church.
He restated his belief in the
00:20:45.11\00:20:49.54
truths of the Bible and his
trust in Jesus as his Savior.
00:20:49.58\00:20:53.78
He was immediately removed from
the church pulpit and brought
00:20:53.82\00:20:59.09
directly here to the stake. As
the execution pier was lit and
00:20:59.12\00:21:04.46
the flames reached upwards
Cranmer held up the hand that
00:21:04.49\00:21:08.16
had signed his recantation and
plunged it into the flames so
00:21:08.20\00:21:13.10
that it should be burned first
crying out, This is the hand
00:21:13.13\00:21:18.61
that offended. The flames of the
fire were so intense that they
00:21:18.64\00:21:24.38
scorched the doors of nearby
Balliol College. The doors have
00:21:24.41\00:21:28.62
since been moved from the street
gate to an inner gate. Today
00:21:28.65\00:21:33.76
they are hung between the _
of Balliol College as a reminder
00:21:33.79\00:21:37.89
of the Oxford Martyrs who were
willing to make the ultimate
00:21:37.93\00:21:42.26
sacrifice for their belief
in the Bible and Jesus Christ.
00:21:42.30\00:21:46.43
And as Latimer said as
the flames consumed him:
00:21:46.47\00:21:51.01
Yes, Ridley, Latimer and Cranmer
and many others did light
00:21:58.75\00:22:06.52
candles and those candles have
never been put out. They've gone
00:22:06.55\00:22:11.49
on burning brighter and brighter
because those men were standing
00:22:11.53\00:22:16.33
fast in the circle of faith.
In his message to Timothy the
00:22:16.36\00:22:21.07
Apostle Paul
wrote this admonition:
00:22:21.10\00:22:23.87
That is how Paul describes
the church. It is the pillar and
00:22:35.55\00:22:40.76
ground or foundation of truth.
That's what God designed his
00:22:40.79\00:22:45.49
church to be. God's true
church is a circle based on the
00:22:45.53\00:22:50.60
authority of the Bible, the word
of God and no other authority.
00:22:50.63\00:22:55.74
It's not just a collection of
tradition. It's the pillar and
00:22:55.77\00:23:00.48
foundation of the truth. God has
always had his witnesses to that
00:23:00.51\00:23:06.41
truth. Sometimes they're
persecuted. Often they're in the
00:23:06.45\00:23:10.19
minority. But that circle of
faith has been kept alive down
00:23:10.22\00:23:15.72
through the centuries. In their
day Ridley, Latimer, and Cranmer
00:23:15.76\00:23:21.50
kept the flame burning. They
represent the great fraternity
00:23:21.53\00:23:25.87
of the faithful, people who
have bonded in the simplicity of
00:23:25.90\00:23:29.70
the gospel, people whose faith
proved unshakeable in the worst
00:23:29.74\00:23:35.28
of times. These men give us a
glimpse of what God's last day
00:23:35.31\00:23:40.82
church called the remnant
will be like. Revelation chapter
00:23:40.85\00:23:45.02
12 and verse 17 refers to a
cosmic struggle in the last days
00:23:45.05\00:23:50.66
between the dragon, that is
Satan, and the woman, God's true
00:23:50.69\00:23:56.30
church:
00:23:56.33\00:23:57.93
You'll notice it says, The rest
00:24:05.81\00:24:08.34
of her offspring. That's the
remnant, the faithful in the end
00:24:08.38\00:24:14.02
times. And what are they like?
Well, they're still committed to
00:24:14.05\00:24:18.15
the faith of Jesus Christ,
the testimony of Christ. They're
00:24:18.19\00:24:22.56
still standing on the word.
They're still united in Christ.
00:24:22.59\00:24:26.53
They keep the flame of
truth alive. They're faith still
00:24:26.56\00:24:31.40
proves unshakeable. Are you
standing in a circle today or
00:24:31.43\00:24:36.60
are you trying to stand alone?
Are you just settling for your
00:24:36.64\00:24:41.04
own opinions about God or are
you making exciting discoveries
00:24:41.08\00:24:45.81
with a group of true believers.
Listen, we need each other. We
00:24:45.85\00:24:51.49
can't stand alone. Faith
was never meant to be something
00:24:51.52\00:24:56.02
private and hidden. It was meant
to be shared. It was meant to be
00:24:56.06\00:25:00.73
the thing that glues together
our most precious relationships.
00:25:00.76\00:25:04.87
Will you make a commitment with
me right now, a decision to do
00:25:04.90\00:25:09.60
something very basic, something
very important. Will you become
00:25:09.64\00:25:14.28
a part of the circle of faith
based on faithfulness to God's
00:25:14.31\00:25:18.91
word the Bible? Find a place of
fellowship in Jesus Christ and
00:25:18.95\00:25:23.95
begin investing yourself. Let's
start standing in a circle now.
00:25:23.99\00:25:28.72
Why not make that
decision right now as we pray.
00:25:28.76\00:25:33.60
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank
you for your word the Bible that
00:25:33.63\00:25:40.60
a God in heaven who loves us and
who cares for us. We thank you
00:25:40.64\00:25:47.58
for the encouraging example of
the Oxford martyrs who remained
00:25:47.61\00:25:51.31
faithful to Jesus and his word,
the Bible, and kept the flame of
00:25:51.35\00:25:55.38
truth alive. Lord we too want to
stand in the circle of faith. We
00:25:55.42\00:26:01.59
want to find a place of
fellowship in Jesus Christ.
00:26:01.62\00:26:04.29
We want to find salvation
and peace in him, our Savior and
00:26:04.33\00:26:09.43
accept your invitation to stand
in your circle. Bless us now we
00:26:09.46\00:26:14.70
pray. In Jesus' name. Amen.
00:26:14.74\00:26:19.71
If you would like your heart
filled with God's love and find
00:26:19.74\00:26:25.68
a deeper faith and a stronger
relationship with him, I'd like
00:26:25.71\00:26:29.72
to recommend a free gift we have
for all our viewers today. Our
00:26:29.75\00:26:34.89
free gift for you today is the
wonderful book Standing in the
00:26:34.92\00:26:40.30
Circle. This book will draw you
closer to Christ and his word,
00:26:40.33\00:26:44.07
the Bible. This book is our
special gift to you today. It's
00:26:44.10\00:26:48.34
absolutely free and there are
no costs whatsoever. So don't
00:26:48.37\00:26:53.61
miss this opportunity to obtain
your own copy of this book,
00:26:53.64\00:26:58.25
Standing in the Circle.
Here's the information you need:
00:26:58.28\00:27:03.39
Phone us now on 0481315101
or or text us on 0491222999 or
00:27:03.42\00:27:16.70
visit our website:
theincrediblejourney.tv
00:27:16.73\00:27:20.60
to request today's free offer.
So don't delay. Contact us right
00:27:20.64\00:27:26.24
now. If you've enjoyed today's
journey to Oxford and back
00:27:26.27\00:27:31.98
through the centuries be sure
to join us again next week when
00:27:32.01\00:27:36.55
we will share another of life's
journeys together and experience
00:27:36.58\00:27:40.79
another new and thought
provoking perspective on the
00:27:40.82\00:27:44.06
peace, insight, understanding,
and hope that only the Bible
00:27:44.09\00:27:48.76
can give us. The Journey truly
is television that changes lives
00:27:48.80\00:27:54.90
until next week remember the
ultimate destination of life's
00:27:54.94\00:27:59.51
journey. Now I saw a new heaven
and a new earth. And God will
00:27:59.54\00:28:05.05
wipe away every tear from their
eyes. There shall be no more
00:28:05.08\00:28:08.98
death nor sorrow nor crying.
There shall be no more pain for
00:28:09.02\00:28:13.32
the former
things have passed away.
00:28:13.36\00:28:15.86
¤ ¤
00:28:15.89\00:28:28.64