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London is the world's most
popular tourist destination and
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one of the things that makes
London so popular is that it has
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just about everything including
many famous British icons. After
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Buckingham Palace, Westminster
Abbey, Big Ben, and red double
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decker buses, William
Shakespeare is one of the most
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popular and enduring icons
of England. His plays have been
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performed all over the world for
the past 400 years and are more
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popular than ever today. And
this is where it all began. This
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replica of Shakespeare's Globe
Theater was built near the site
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of the original in Southwark
on the south bank of London's
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River Thames. Most of
Shakespeare's greatest plays
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were performed here including
Julius Caesar, Macbeth and
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Hamlet. He is regarded as
the greatest English writer in
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history. Shakespeare's
influence has been immense. He
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introduced 3000 new words to
the English language. He's the
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second most quoted writer in the
English language. Only the Bible
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is quoted more than Shakespeare.
It's no wonder Shakespeare is
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considered by many to be the
greatest writer of all time. But
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despite his immense fame, talent
and influence, he's not the all
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time best seller in the English
language. That honor belongs to
00:02:02.55\00:02:07.76
a criminal. The best selling
book of all time authored in
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English was written in a jail
that was located in a building
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on the old Stone Bridge here
in Bedford, England about 100 km
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from the Globe Theater in London
This book has made a huge impact
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It's reach and influence has
been enormous. It's inspired,
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encouraged and enlightened
people around the world. It's
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brought inner peace and
happiness to many and maybe it
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can do the same for you. So,
stay tuned and hear all about it
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in our program The
Prisoner's Journey.
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¤ ¤
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No city in the world has
impacted and influenced the
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world like London and whether
you realize it or not, this city
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has shaped your destiny. There
is hardly any part of the world
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that London hasn't changed.
The United States was founded in
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reaction to London's edicts.
Australia was first peopled by
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London's criminals. Modern
Canada, South Africa and New
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Zealand were cultivated
by London. India's course was
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irrevocably changed by
the aspiration of London's
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businessmen. Yes, this
city's reach has touched every
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continent. It's people, language
culture, music, poetry and drama
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have gone everywhere. And
no one typifies this more than
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William Shakespeare. His
work has been translated into 80
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languages. Generations of school
children have studied his plays
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and theater lovers everywhere
still turn out to see them.
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Shakespeare's influence has been
immense. He introduced more than
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3000 words to the English
language including critical,
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frugal, excellent, barefaced,
assassination and countless.
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His vocabulary was double
that of the average person and
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consisted of about 29,000 words.
His effortless use of words
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allowed him to use over 7,000
words only once and never again.
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That's more than words than
occur in the entire Bible. It's
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no wonder Shakespeare is
considered by many to be the
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greatest writer of all time. But
despite his immense fame, talent
00:05:09.70\00:05:15.64
and influence, he's not the all
time best seller in the English
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language. The best-selling book
of all time written in English
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was authored by John Bunyan
while he was serving a 12-year
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jail sentence in the prison that
was located here in the county
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town of Bedford in the 17th
century. Who was John Bunyan and
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what was his all-time
best selling book about?
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¤ ¤
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Well John Bunyan's story begins
here in the heart of England in
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the leafy county of Bedfordshire
He was born in 1628, just 12
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years after the death of
William Shakespeare. He was
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born in the tiny hamlet of
Harrowden near the Ulster Abbey
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church just south of Bedford.
John was christened in this
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church in the Norman Font on the
30th of November 1628 and as a
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boy he attended church services
here regularly with his family.
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But he was not particularly
religious and would rather be
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out playing with his friends
than attending church. The Abbey
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church tower is detached
from the church and contains six
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bells. John Bunyan was a bell
ringer here. The fifth bell is
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commonly called the Bunyan bell
because it is believed to be the
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only one that Bunyan rang.
Before church service, this
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fifth bell could be rung from
the doorway to the tower and
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Bunyan is reputed to have rung
this and not the others for fear
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that the tower would fall on
his head as a punishment for his
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sins. Picturesque half-timbered
cottages in the nearby street
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are a reminder of how the
village of Elstow would have
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looked in the time of
John Bunyan. He would have been
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familiar with these cottages but
he would have lived in far more
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humble surroundings. His father
Thomas was a tinker or metal
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worker who traveled from house
to house mending pots and pans.
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It was not a well-paid job so
money was often scarce and the
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family was poor. By the time
he was nine or ten he was often
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found roaming the Elstow
village green with his friends
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swearing and getting into
trouble. By this stage he hated
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going to church as it reminded
him of the bad things he'd done
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during the week. John was more
interested in sports and bell
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ringing than he was in church
and religion. He just wished
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that God would leave him alone.
Unfortunately things only got
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worse for John. In 1644, when
he was just 16, his mother died
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from a bad attack of influenza.
Within a month his 14-year-old
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sister Margaret was also dead.
John was absolutely devastated.
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But this sorrow soon turned into
anger when his father married
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another woman just two months
later. At this time, England was
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going through great changes.
The country was torn apart by a
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devastating civil war. The
English civil war was fought
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between King Charles I and the
parliamentarians under Oliver
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Cromwell. The war was over who
should rule England, the king or
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the parliament. John left home
and joined Oliver Cromwell's
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army which supported parliament
against the king. All the
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soldiers were expected to attend
church and were given a little
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pocket Bible when they enlisted.
But all that didn't matter much
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to John. He'd turned his
back on God and religion. But an
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important incident took place
during his army service that
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made him start thinking about
his eternal destiny. John's
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company of soldiers had been
ordered to surround and capture
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a town. Just as John was about
to go on sentry duty a soldier
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asked if he could go in his
place. John agreed. But as the
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other man stood on guard, he
was shot in the head by a musket
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bullet and killed instantly.
This was a sobering experience
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and John wondered if God was
looking after him and had a plan
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for his life. The war ended when
King Charles I was captured and
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executed. Oliver Cromwell ruled
England and then eventually a
00:10:03.53\00:10:07.77
new king was crowned. However,
from then on the kings and
00:10:07.80\00:10:12.67
queens of England had to
give more and more power to the
00:10:12.71\00:10:17.05
people and to parliament. After
his war duties, John returned to
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Elstow. He had gone away to war
as a boy and now he returned as
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a man. By this time he was
21 years old and just two years
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later he married a very
religious local girl and settled
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in Elstow. They were extremely
poor and so John followed in his
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father's footsteps and worked as
a tinker mending pots and pans.
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But John was living a double
life. He would regularly attend
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church with his wife and
would sing and say all the right
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things to please his wife, yet
some of his actions showed he
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didn't really mean it. As soon
as he got home from church he
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forgot all about the sermon and
would join his friends here on
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the village green. John
was known in the area for his
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swearing and lying and
he quickly slotted back into
00:11:13.87\00:11:17.67
becoming the ring leader of
the local gangs. John was very
00:11:17.71\00:11:22.24
unsettled. On the outside life
looked great. He had a wife, a
00:11:22.28\00:11:28.58
home, friends and a job.
But things are never quite that
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simple, because on the inside he
was at war with himself. He knew
00:11:33.09\00:11:39.16
what was right and how he should
be living, but he was doing
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things he knew were wrong. John
started to question everything.
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One of his favorite pastimes was
bell ringing at church but he
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began wondering what's the point
of it all. What's the use of all
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this outward religious show if
he wasn't right with God on the
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inside. Church attendance,
singing, bell ringing. Is this
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all there is to religion.
Something was missing in his
00:12:06.29\00:12:15.26
life. One day John was walking
through Bedford town when he
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overheard a small group of women
chatting as they sat in doorway.
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They were talking about
God. John was interested and so
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listened in to their
conversation. He soon
00:12:29.21\00:12:32.15
realized by the way they were
talking that they seemed to know
00:12:32.18\00:12:35.85
God personally. They had a real
vibrant, personal relationship
00:12:35.88\00:12:41.69
with God. John realized
that this is what was missing in
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his life. This is what he wanted
John began reading the Bible as
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he'd never read it before. He
began spending time praying to
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God. He began pleading with
God to show him what was really
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right. He wanted to be a genuine
Christian, a real one, on the
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outside and the inside. At this
time the ideas of Martin Luther
00:13:06.82\00:13:13.25
and John Calvin, the ideas of
the protestant reformation began
00:13:13.29\00:13:17.93
to gain a foothold in England.
People began to study the Bible
00:13:17.96\00:13:22.30
and follow its teachings. They
believed the Bible was true and
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that it should govern
every part of their lives. They
00:13:27.00\00:13:30.61
were no longer
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satisfied with just tradition
and empty religion. As John
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studied the Bible he discovered
the good news that God is a God
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of love and that salvation is
a gift, it's free. That people's
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sins are forgiven when they
accept Jesus as their Savior and
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believe that he paid the penalty
for their sins and mistakes on
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the cross. John asked God to
forgive his many sins. At last
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he had found what he was looking
for, inner peace and happiness
00:14:00.10\00:14:05.41
through a relationship with
Jesus Christ. He later became a
00:14:05.44\00:14:09.54
member of the new church, St.
John's located here in downtown
00:14:09.58\00:14:15.05
Bedford. He decided to follow in
the footsteps of Jesus and obey
00:14:15.08\00:14:19.25
the teachings of the Bible. He
read in the Bible that Jesus was
00:14:19.29\00:14:23.93
baptized by immersion as an
adult. He also read what Jesus
00:14:23.96\00:14:28.43
Jesus said about the importance
of true Bible baptism in Mark
00:14:28.46\00:14:32.73
chapter 16 and verse 16:
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John decided to follow the
example of Jesus and be baptized
00:14:43.81\00:14:49.25
by immersion and so in 1653
he was baptized here in a little
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inlet of the River Ouse at Duck
Mill. The change in John was
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amazing. He was a new person and
he desperately wanted to share
00:15:00.10\00:15:05.07
the good news about Jesus that
had changed his life and brought
00:15:05.10\00:15:08.64
him happiness. So John began
preaching. John loved the Bible
00:15:08.67\00:15:13.98
and was soon preaching in the
open-air, in houses, cottages,
00:15:14.01\00:15:17.68
barns and even in parish
churches. Large crowds would
00:15:17.71\00:15:23.55
gather to hear him. At this time
there wasn't religious freedom
00:15:23.59\00:15:28.22
in England. There were strict
rules about when and where
00:15:28.26\00:15:31.93
people could worship and open
air preaching was illegal. But
00:15:31.96\00:15:37.80
John felt compelled to continue
preaching. This placed him in
00:15:37.83\00:15:43.44
serious danger. The crunch came
in November 1660 when John was
00:15:43.47\00:15:51.68
asked to go and preach on a farm
at Lower Sansal near the village
00:15:51.71\00:15:55.78
of Westoning. He knew that
he would be in danger if he went
00:15:55.82\00:15:59.55
but he felt a duty to proceed
and so went anyway. Just as the
00:15:59.59\00:16:05.26
meeting was starting with prayer
the police burst in and ordered
00:16:05.29\00:16:09.43
them to stop. John was arrested
and brought to Harlington Manor
00:16:09.46\00:16:13.94
for interrogation. It was a
large house surrounded by a huge
00:16:13.97\00:16:18.57
brick wall with enormous wooden
gates at the entrance. Today its
00:16:18.61\00:16:24.08
the only building still standing
that Bunyan is known to have
00:16:24.11\00:16:28.38
stayed in. John was dragged
away to jail. His only crime:
00:16:28.42\00:16:33.42
Preaching about Jesus and the
gift of salvation. He spent the
00:16:33.46\00:16:38.86
next 12 years as a prisoner for
the sake of the gospel and his
00:16:38.89\00:16:43.43
conscience. He was imprisoned
in two jails. He spent a short
00:16:43.47\00:16:48.04
time in the town prison that was
a building in the center of the
00:16:48.07\00:16:51.01
center of the old stone bridge
that used to cross the River
00:16:51.04\00:16:55.54
Ouse. Today a plaque relates to
John's imprisonment here in the
00:16:55.58\00:17:00.58
town prison. But most of his
time in prison was spent in the
00:17:00.62\00:17:04.99
county jail. This plaque in the
pavement in Bedford marks the
00:17:05.02\00:17:09.99
spot where the county jail stood
in the 17th century. It was
00:17:10.03\00:17:14.13
demolished in 1801. John Bunyan
was imprisoned here for 12 long
00:17:14.16\00:17:21.94
years. Conditions were dreadful,
dirty and overcrowded though
00:17:21.97\00:17:28.88
Bunyan never complained about
it. John didn't waste his time
00:17:28.91\00:17:32.25
in prison. He made good laces
to help support his family and
00:17:32.28\00:17:37.02
spoke to fellow prisoners about
the Bible and Jesus Christ. He
00:17:37.05\00:17:41.59
would also sit in his cell and
write. It was here that he wrote
00:17:41.62\00:17:46.29
the world's best-selling book
in publishing history next to
00:17:46.33\00:17:50.23
the Bible. The book is called
The Pilgrims Progress. It's a
00:17:50.27\00:17:57.01
clever allegory about a man
named Christian and his journey
00:17:57.04\00:18:01.04
from his home town The City
of Destruction to his heavenly
00:18:01.08\00:18:04.95
destination The Celestial City.
On his action packed journey
00:18:04.98\00:18:09.72
Christian faces many
difficulties and meets many
00:18:09.75\00:18:14.19
characters. Some of them try to
discourage him and lead him away
00:18:14.22\00:18:18.96
from the right path. On the
positive side Christian also
00:18:18.99\00:18:23.50
meets several godly individuals
along the way who assist him
00:18:23.53\00:18:27.90
and encourage him to stay on
the right path. His adventurous
00:18:27.94\00:18:32.57
journey takes him to many
different places including
00:18:32.61\00:18:36.41
various landmarks and towns like
Vanity Fair, Hill Difficulty,
00:18:36.44\00:18:41.88
the House Beautiful and the
Valley of the Shadow of Death.
00:18:41.92\00:18:46.25
John Bunyan was influenced in
the creation of these places by
00:18:46.29\00:18:51.76
his own surrounding environment.
They are places and structures
00:18:51.79\00:18:55.70
he regularly would have seen as
a child and later in his travels
00:18:55.73\00:19:00.14
on foot or horseback. For
example the House Beautiful
00:19:00.17\00:19:04.07
is Halton House build herein
1621 but a ruin since 1800.
00:19:04.11\00:19:11.85
Throughout the first part of the
journey Christian is carrying a
00:19:11.88\00:19:16.12
terribly heavy load on his back,
the weight of his sins. It seems
00:19:16.15\00:19:20.72
to be dragging him down to hell
but then he reaches the Wall
00:19:20.76\00:19:24.89
of Salvation where there's a
large cross. Once he reaches the
00:19:24.93\00:19:29.83
foot of the cross his terrible
burden miraculously falls away
00:19:29.86\00:19:34.60
and disappears and he's
set free. He's also given a
00:19:34.64\00:19:40.48
certificate that will be
his entrance into the gates of
00:19:40.51\00:19:44.08
heaven. Christian rejoices and
continues his journey. But even
00:19:44.11\00:19:49.68
now Christian finds that
his journey is not an easy one.
00:19:49.72\00:19:54.59
There are continual difficulties
discouragements and temptations
00:19:54.62\00:19:58.46
along the way. He learns that
pilgrims face the most trouble
00:19:58.49\00:20:04.13
when they are tempted to deviate
from the right path and try to
00:20:04.17\00:20:08.50
follow what they perceive to be
an easier way. He discovers that
00:20:08.54\00:20:13.17
there are no shortcuts to
the Celestial City. Eventually
00:20:13.21\00:20:18.35
Christian reaches the borders
of the Celestial City and he
00:20:18.38\00:20:22.32
crosses a river with no bridge
and enters the Kingdom. On the
00:20:22.35\00:20:26.99
far shore he's greeted by
angels and trumpets and joins in
00:20:27.02\00:20:31.66
praising the King of the land.
By God's grace he's made it to
00:20:31.69\00:20:37.33
the Celestial City. Even though
written by a prisoner in a dark
00:20:37.37\00:20:42.10
jail cell, John Bunyan's book,
The Pilgrim's Progress, was an
00:20:42.14\00:20:46.98
immediate success. Within 10
years it had sold over 100,000
00:20:47.01\00:20:52.95
copies and was already
translated into several
00:20:52.98\00:20:56.08
different languages. Today it's
the world's best seller of all
00:20:56.12\00:21:00.76
time and the most widely
circulated book next to the
00:21:00.79\00:21:05.39
Bible. It's never been out
of print and has been translated
00:21:05.43\00:21:09.16
into over 200 languages.
But why? What makes Pilgrim's
00:21:09.20\00:21:14.87
Progress so appealing that
it's been able to cross cultures
00:21:14.90\00:21:19.07
languages and centuries. Well
I think it's because we can all
00:21:19.11\00:21:25.35
relate to it. Christian's story
is our story, yours and mine,
00:21:25.38\00:21:30.32
as well as John Bunyan's. We're
all on a journey, the journey of
00:21:30.35\00:21:37.46
life. And more specifically,
if you know Jesus then we're
00:21:37.49\00:21:42.33
pilgrims too. Our life is a
journey, a pilgrimage with a
00:21:42.36\00:21:49.07
glorious destination.
Notice what the Bible says in
00:21:49.10\00:21:52.14
I Peter chapter 2 and verse 11:
00:21:52.17\00:21:54.84
Yes, we're all pilgrims on our
way to the heavenly city that
00:22:05.62\00:22:10.66
God is preparing.
Here's what it says in
00:22:10.69\00:22:13.60
Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 16:
00:22:13.63\00:22:16.97
And the Bible shares a lot
of information about this city,
00:22:30.41\00:22:34.05
about the ultimate destination
of our life's journey. For
00:22:34.08\00:22:39.05
example, notice what it says in
00:22:39.09\00:22:41.39
Revelation
chapter 21 verses 1 to 4:
00:22:41.42\00:22:45.16
That holy city is our ultimate
destination and Christian's
00:23:11.82\00:23:16.59
journey in Pilgrim's Progress
reflects every Christian's
00:23:16.62\00:23:21.16
journey through life. There is
only one path to heaven and it's
00:23:21.20\00:23:26.13
not always an easy one.
It's filled with trials and
00:23:26.17\00:23:30.11
temptations, but even in the
difficult times God watches over
00:23:30.14\00:23:35.18
us and helps us along the way.
With each trial that he brings
00:23:35.21\00:23:39.88
us through our faith is
strengthened. Meanwhile we must
00:23:39.91\00:23:46.32
stay on the right course leaving
our burden, our sins, at the
00:23:46.35\00:23:50.89
foot of the cross where Jesus
Christ has set us free. We're
00:23:50.93\00:23:56.67
all on the same journey but the
big question is this, are you on
00:23:56.70\00:24:02.47
the right path? If you would
like to experience the freedom
00:24:02.50\00:24:06.47
that only Jesus can provide,
if you would like to experience
00:24:06.51\00:24:10.65
true peace and happiness, if you
would like God to guide you on
00:24:10.68\00:24:14.95
your journey through life, why
not ask him right now as we pray
00:24:14.98\00:24:20.29
Dear Heavenly Father, you are
never far from those who seek
00:24:20.32\00:24:25.39
you. Please give us strength to
endure this pilgrim journey as
00:24:25.43\00:24:30.40
we travel along the path that
you have prepared according to
00:24:30.43\00:24:34.14
your will. We face trials and
temptations. Please watch over
00:24:34.17\00:24:39.31
us and help us along the
way. Guide us to our final
00:24:39.34\00:24:43.48
destination and set our
affections on the things above,
00:24:43.51\00:24:48.98
not on the passing vanities
of this world until we reach the
00:24:49.02\00:24:52.89
peace and comfort
of our heavenly home.
00:24:52.92\00:24:55.99
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
00:24:56.02\00:25:02.10
Three hundred and fifty years
ago John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's
00:25:02.13\00:25:06.94
Progress while locked up in a
prison cell on a bridge. Today
00:25:06.97\00:25:10.41
it's the world's best seller
of all time and the most widely
00:25:10.44\00:25:14.88
circulated book next to the
Bible. Why? Because we can all
00:25:14.91\00:25:20.22
relate to it. It's our story,
yours and mine. We're all on a
00:25:20.25\00:25:25.82
journey, the journey of
life. And Christian's journey in
00:25:25.85\00:25:30.53
Pilgrim's Progress reflects
every Christian's journey
00:25:30.56\00:25:33.60
through life. There is only
one path to heaven and it's not
00:25:33.63\00:25:37.97
always an easy one. It's filled
with trials and temptations. If
00:25:38.00\00:25:43.57
you're looking for support
on your journey through life and
00:25:43.61\00:25:47.08
would like God to guide you then
I'd like to recommend a free
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gift we have for all our viewers
today. It's the Christian
00:25:50.85\00:25:55.15
classic Steps to Christ. This
book is our gift to you and is
00:25:55.18\00:26:00.72
absolutely free. There are no
costs or obligations whatsoever.
00:26:00.76\00:26:06.36
So please don't miss this
wonderful opportunity to receive
00:26:06.39\00:26:11.53
the gift we have for you today.
Here's the information you need:
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Phone or text us at 0436333555
or visit our website www.tij.tv
00:26:15.84\00:26:27.75
to request today's free offer
and we'll send it to you totally
00:26:27.78\00:26:31.72
free of charge and with no
obligation. So don't delay.
00:26:31.75\00:26:36.69
Call or text 0436333555
in Australia or 0204222042 in
00:26:36.73\00:26:47.84
New Zealand or visit our website
www.tij.tv to request today's
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offer. Write to us at:
00:26:57.01\00:27:14.03
Don't delay. Call or text us
now If you've enjoyed today's
00:27:14.06\00:27:21.90
journey to Bedford and our
reflection on Pilgrim's Progress
00:27:21.94\00:27:26.11
be sure to join us again next
week when we will share another
00:27:26.14\00:27:30.15
of life's journey's together
and experience another new
00:27:30.18\00:27:33.62
and thought provoking
perspective on the peace,
00:27:33.65\00:27:36.48
insight, understanding and hope
that only the Bible can give us.
00:27:36.52\00:27:42.29
The Journey truly is television
that changes lives. Until next
00:27:42.32\00:27:46.86
week remember the ultimate
destination of life's journey:
00:27:46.90\00:27:51.83
Now I saw a new heaven and a new
earth; and God will wipe away
00:27:51.87\00:27:55.50
every tear from their eyes.
There shall be no more death
00:27:55.54\00:27:59.31
nor sorrow nor crying. There
shall be no more pain for the
00:27:59.34\00:28:03.21
former things have passed away.
00:28:03.24\00:28:06.05
¤ ¤
00:28:06.08\00:28:21.93