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It Is Written with John Bradshaw

John Bradshaw - The Selfishness Paradigm

January 5, 2025 | S25:E1

John Bradshaw - The Selfishness Paradigm
It Is Written seeks to impact lives for Christ.
#Faith #Love #Bible #Selfishness #Greed #Religion #Humaninterest #Truth #Character #WordofGod #inActive #Worship #Nature #ItIsWrittenwithJohnBradshaw #JohnBradshaw #Revelation1:7

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It Is Written with John Bradshaw | John Bradshaw - The Selfishness Paradigm | January 5, 2025
  • ♪[theme music]♪
  • 00:00:00.023 --> 00:00:16.139
  • >>john bradshaw: this is it is written.
  • 00:00:20.043 --> 00:00:22.045
  • I'm john bradshaw. thanks for joining me.
  • 00:00:22.045 --> 00:00:25.515
  • There are few things more beautiful,
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  • More peaceful, or more relaxing than a place like this.
  • 00:00:28.651 --> 00:00:34.257
  • ♪[soft music]♪
  • 00:00:34.257 --> 00:00:35.391
  • Botanical gardens are a feature of many major cities,
  • 00:00:35.391 --> 00:00:38.461
  • And if you've ever visited somewhere like butchart gardens
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  • On vancouver island in british columbia
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  • Or the remarkable 300-acre kew gardens near richmond
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  • In southwest london in england,
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  • You know how spectacular they can be.
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  • And gardens like these are typically kept immaculate.
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  • They're orderly, everything in its place,
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  • Manicured.
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  • But look closely and you'll see
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  • That things are not as they appear.
  • 00:01:02.418 --> 00:01:04.621
  • It's not all beauty.
  • 00:01:04.621 --> 00:01:06.856
  • Things certainly aren't orderly,
  • 00:01:06.856 --> 00:01:09.492
  • And they're definitely not peaceful,
  • 00:01:09.492 --> 00:01:12.262
  • At least not on a biological level.
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  • Let me show you what i mean.
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  • ♪[ominous music]♪
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  • Take a closer look and you'll see a life-and-death drama
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  • Playing out.
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  • Bugs or insects are going about their rather ruthless business,
  • 00:01:21.738 --> 00:01:25.141
  • Hunting, preying on other insects or spiders.
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  • Wasps attacking spiders.
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  • Ants hauling away other bugs or insects.
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  • And often these little things are locked in a battle,
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  • The outcome of which isn't always sure.
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  • And it isn't pretty.
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  • These aren't sanitized battles that are taking place.
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  • You've got little creatures injecting venom,
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  • Paralyzing their victims, and then taking the victim,
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  • Still alive, heart still beating, but unable to move,
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  • Back to its nest where it might even lay eggs in the victim.
  • 00:01:54.037 --> 00:01:57.874
  • In some cases, the eggs hatch,
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  • And the paralyzed victim becomes a living food source.
  • 00:02:00.009 --> 00:02:04.714
  • To advance its own interests,
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  • One little creature takes the life of another.
  • 00:02:07.250 --> 00:02:14.057
  • Look at a rosebush and you'll often see aphids,
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  • Which make their living by piercing the tender young bark
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  • Of the plant and drinking the rich sap.
  • 00:02:21.164 --> 00:02:25.368
  • These aphids are, in turn, hunted by a voracious creature
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  • That we've somewhat romanticized: the ladybug.
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  • A ladybug can eat dozens of aphids in a day.
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  • It can actually bite humans.
  • 00:02:36.412 --> 00:02:38.681
  • It doesn't feel like much more than a little pinch for us,
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  • But for aphids, different story.
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  • A ladybug is an aphid-eating machine.
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  • Basically, she takes their lives
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  • In order to advance and further her own life.
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  • That's how she, or he, for that matter,
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  • Goes about his or her business.
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  • And there's no peace in the soil underneath the beautiful bushes.
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  • The soil is alive.
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  • In a handful of soil are billions of microorganisms.
  • 00:03:06.809 --> 00:03:10.813
  • And they're at war with each other.
  • 00:03:10.813 --> 00:03:13.016
  • Opposing armies of different types of microorganisms
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  • Are almost continually at battle,
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  • And the winner eats the loser.
  • 00:03:19.055 --> 00:03:22.625
  • The opposing sides employ some pretty sophisticated strategies
  • 00:03:22.625 --> 00:03:26.396
  • And counter-strategies, including mimicry,
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  • Camouflage, and chemical warfare.
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  • Let's call it what it is.
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  • In a handful of soil, there plays out a hellish scenario
  • 00:03:35.772 --> 00:03:39.909
  • Of war, strife, and death.
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  • ♪[ominous music]♪
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  • And what's happening in the soil under our feet
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  • Is not so different from what's happening in the grass
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  • And the bushes and the trees and the water all around us.
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  • In fact, from the bottom of the oceans
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  • To the tops of the mountains,
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  • We see the same pattern repeated throughout nature,
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  • Where creatures survive by taking the lives
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  • Or the resources of other creatures.
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  • By taking.
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  • Selfishness is a fundamental part
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  • Of the planet's operating system.
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  • In fact, the organizing principle
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  • Of much of the natural world is selfishness.
  • 00:04:16.112 --> 00:04:20.149
  • And that principle isn't confined
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  • Only to the natural world.
  • 00:04:21.617 --> 00:04:23.619
  • Selfishness is the organizing principle
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  • For most human endeavors, our global society, our industry,
  • 00:04:25.755 --> 00:04:30.626
  • And our economy.
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  • Economists will tell you that wall street can't really operate
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  • Without it.
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  • In fact, pretty much the entire world,
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  • From all of nature to most everything humanity does,
  • 00:04:38.634 --> 00:04:42.739
  • Operates on a selfishness paradigm.
  • 00:04:42.739 --> 00:04:46.042
  • Or, in other words, on a selfishness-based system.
  • 00:04:46.042 --> 00:04:50.713
  • And for christians, that's a real problem.
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  • In fact, it's a huge problem.
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  • But at the same time, it's a fitting way for us
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  • To start to talk about the prequel of the bible.
  • 00:05:00.690 --> 00:05:03.793
  • Now, like any prequel, the prequel of the bible
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  • Is the back story,
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  • The story behind the stories that you know.
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  • But once you know the prequel,
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  • It makes everything else you know fuller and deeper
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  • And more meaningful.
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  • And in our case,
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  • It helps explain a world based on selfishness.
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  • ♪[soft music]♪
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  • So, back to the question of the selfishness paradigm
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  • And the way nature and human society operate.
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  • Here's the problem for christians:
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  • The bible says that god created the world.
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  • More than that, in the book of genesis,
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  • The bible gives a detailed account of god's creation,
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  • Of how he systematically built up the fundamental systems
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  • Of the world--our atmosphere, our, our hydrosphere,
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  • Our soil system--
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  • And how god added life forms to populate each completed system--
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  • Birds, fish, plants, and animals.
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  • And then when all the systems were complete,
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  • He added humans.
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  • The bible describes creation as a very intentional
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  • And systematic process undertaken by god.
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  • It also says he was pleased with each component system
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  • As he finished creating it.
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  • And that he was very pleased with the final result,
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  • Where all systems and life forms worked together
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  • In one flawless, balanced, intermeshed whole.
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  • But what kind of world would god create?
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  • What kind of world did he create?
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  • I'll have more in just a moment.
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  • ♪[music]♪
  • 00:06:37.153 --> 00:06:46.062
  • >>john: now, here's a question: can god be trusted?
  • 00:06:46.128 --> 00:06:49.799
  • Either you've asked that question yourself,
  • 00:06:49.799 --> 00:06:51.667
  • Or you know somebody who has, and i've got an answer for you.
  • 00:06:51.667 --> 00:06:55.238
  • I'd like you to get today's free offer,
  • 00:06:55.238 --> 00:06:57.473
  • "can god be trusted?"
  • 00:06:57.473 --> 00:06:59.509
  • To receive it, call 800-253-3000,
  • 00:06:59.509 --> 00:07:02.945
  • Write to the address on your screen,
  • 00:07:02.945 --> 00:07:04.714
  • Or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
  • 00:07:04.714 --> 00:07:08.184
  • "can god be trusted?"
  • 00:07:08.184 --> 00:07:09.585
  • I have an answer for you, 800-253-3000,
  • 00:07:09.585 --> 00:07:12.889
  • Or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
  • 00:07:12.889 --> 00:07:16.259
  • [fire crackling, crickets chirping]
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  • [coyote barking]
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  • ♪[ominous music]♪
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  • [insects chirping]
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  • [camera rattling]
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  • [wind blowing, insects buzzing, feet crunching grass]
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  • [indistinct voices]
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  • [wind blowing]
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  • [night insects buzzing]
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  • ♪[music]♪
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  • [dramatic sounds, heart thumping, creaking]
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  • ♪[dramatic music]♪
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  • [crowd cheering]
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  • ♪[soft music]♪
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  • >>john bradshaw: thanks for joining me today
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  • On it is written.
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  • I'm john bradshaw.
  • 00:08:27.697 --> 00:08:29.131
  • Now, the bible says that god is love.
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  • He is the very definition, the very distillation of love.
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  • He's also a lot of other things.
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  • He's nurturing; he's caring; he's generous; he's kind;
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  • He's supportive; he's creative.
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  • But god is love.
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  • Now, thinking about this logically,
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  • If god is love, then those things that he creates
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  • Wouldn't be--in fact, i would say couldn't be--
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  • In opposition to his character.
  • 00:08:58.728 --> 00:09:02.064
  • But just by observing the world around us,
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  • It's obvious the organizing principle of the world
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  • Is not love, but selfishness.
  • 00:09:07.803 --> 00:09:11.040
  • That is, the organizing principle of the world
  • 00:09:11.040 --> 00:09:14.577
  • Is the exact opposite of what god says he is.
  • 00:09:14.577 --> 00:09:19.615
  • Now, a god who would make a world based on selfishness,
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  • Where the things he made would torture and kill one another,
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  • Is not a god of love but is a monster
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  • And isn't a god that is worthy of our worship.
  • 00:09:29.158 --> 00:09:32.094
  • Let me say that again:
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  • A god who would intentionally create a world
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  • So that what he made was designed to torture and to kill
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  • One another, that god is not worthy of our worship.
  • 00:09:39.902 --> 00:09:44.740
  • So this question: who is god?
  • 00:09:44.740 --> 00:09:47.510
  • This other question: what did he make?
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  • They are very important.
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  • ♪[soft music]♪
  • 00:09:54.283 --> 00:09:56.619
  • As we look at who and what god is
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  • And grapple with the difference between who god says he is
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  • And what we see in the world around us,
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  • We can run through several possible reasons
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  • For what really is a massive disparity.
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  • And i can think of four.
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  • One: maybe who god says he is and what we see in the world
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  • Are different because the bible is false,
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  • And god is actually a monster
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  • Who tortures the things he creates.
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  • Number two: maybe there's no god.
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  • Maybe the bible's just a book of fables.
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  • That would explain it.
  • 00:10:26.816 --> 00:10:28.150
  • Number three: perhaps the bible is true,
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  • And god is who he says he is,
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  • But something happened to change the world
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  • From the way he created it into what it is today.
  • 00:10:34.590 --> 00:10:38.194
  • And maybe there's a fourth reason:
  • 00:10:38.194 --> 00:10:39.361
  • Maybe god created the world it actually is right now,
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  • But we simply don't understand it or him.
  • 00:10:42.298 --> 00:10:45.301
  • Now, each one of these four possibilities touches directly
  • 00:10:45.301 --> 00:10:48.003
  • On the character and the existence of god.
  • 00:10:48.003 --> 00:10:51.173
  • As we start talking about the state of the world,
  • 00:10:51.173 --> 00:10:54.243
  • We're also thinking about and talking about
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  • The character of god.
  • 00:10:56.746 --> 00:11:00.049
  • So we have four possible reasons for the disparity
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  • Between who god says he is
  • 00:11:03.753 --> 00:11:06.455
  • And what we see in the world around us.
  • 00:11:06.455 --> 00:11:08.724
  • God says that he is love.
  • 00:11:08.724 --> 00:11:11.193
  • But the world around us isn't based on love,
  • 00:11:11.193 --> 00:11:13.662
  • But selfishness.
  • 00:11:13.662 --> 00:11:15.431
  • So let's look at those four possible reasons
  • 00:11:15.431 --> 00:11:17.566
  • And see if we can narrow down that list.
  • 00:11:17.566 --> 00:11:20.236
  • What was our first reason?
  • 00:11:20.236 --> 00:11:21.804
  • Maybe god actually is a monster
  • 00:11:21.804 --> 00:11:23.906
  • Who tortures the things he creates.
  • 00:11:23.906 --> 00:11:26.642
  • Well, the entire bible says otherwise.
  • 00:11:26.642 --> 00:11:29.779
  • "god is love," 1 john 4, verse 8.
  • 00:11:29.779 --> 00:11:32.948
  • "i have loved you with an everlasting love,"
  • 00:11:32.948 --> 00:11:35.050
  • Jeremiah 31:3.
  • 00:11:35.050 --> 00:11:36.952
  • "the thoughts i have towards you are thoughts of peace
  • 00:11:36.952 --> 00:11:40.022
  • And not of evil."
  • 00:11:40.022 --> 00:11:40.923
  • Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11.
  • 00:11:40.923 --> 00:11:42.958
  • "god so loved the world that he gave..."
  • 00:11:42.958 --> 00:11:45.828
  • John 3:16.
  • 00:11:45.828 --> 00:11:47.696
  • So we can reject that first proposition.
  • 00:11:47.696 --> 00:11:51.066
  • Now, what was our second reason?
  • 00:11:51.066 --> 00:11:52.635
  • There's no god, and the bible is a book of fables.
  • 00:11:52.635 --> 00:11:55.504
  • Well, this is it is written,
  • 00:11:55.504 --> 00:11:57.773
  • And not "it is proposed" or "it is speculated."
  • 00:11:57.773 --> 00:12:00.910
  • So we'll scratch that one off the list.
  • 00:12:00.910 --> 00:12:03.546
  • Now, let's look at the fourth reason.
  • 00:12:03.546 --> 00:12:05.614
  • God created the world just like we see it,
  • 00:12:05.614 --> 00:12:08.250
  • But we simply don't understand it or that or him.
  • 00:12:08.250 --> 00:12:11.821
  • Well, undoubtedly, there's a lot that we don't understand,
  • 00:12:11.821 --> 00:12:14.156
  • But god gave the bible so we could understand it.
  • 00:12:14.156 --> 00:12:17.893
  • Jeremiah wrote, "and you will seek me and find me,
  • 00:12:17.893 --> 00:12:20.629
  • When you search for me with all [of] your heart."
  • 00:12:20.629 --> 00:12:23.032
  • God wants us to know him.
  • 00:12:23.032 --> 00:12:25.034
  • So, no.
  • 00:12:25.034 --> 00:12:27.136
  • Now, that leaves one more possibility
  • 00:12:27.136 --> 00:12:29.171
  • To explain the disparity between who god says he is
  • 00:12:29.171 --> 00:12:32.508
  • And what we see in the world:
  • 00:12:32.508 --> 00:12:34.944
  • The world changed after god created it.
  • 00:12:34.944 --> 00:12:40.249
  • The book of job helps us with this,
  • 00:12:40.249 --> 00:12:42.184
  • Especially job chapter 38.
  • 00:12:42.184 --> 00:12:44.753
  • There's a conversation going on between god and job
  • 00:12:44.753 --> 00:12:47.389
  • Where god says to job,
  • 00:12:47.389 --> 00:12:49.558
  • "where were you when i [created the world]? ...
  • 00:12:49.558 --> 00:12:52.528
  • When the morning stars sang...
  • 00:12:52.528 --> 00:12:54.530
  • And all the sons of god shouted for joy?"
  • 00:12:54.530 --> 00:12:57.800
  • Now, there's a lot going on between job and god
  • 00:12:57.800 --> 00:13:00.870
  • In this passage, but what god said was very important
  • 00:13:00.870 --> 00:13:04.473
  • In relation to the question that we're pursuing.
  • 00:13:04.473 --> 00:13:06.942
  • Did the earth change after god created it?
  • 00:13:06.942 --> 00:13:09.912
  • Those morning stars god talks about are angels.
  • 00:13:09.912 --> 00:13:13.682
  • When god created the earth, it was so special, so beautiful,
  • 00:13:13.682 --> 00:13:18.387
  • So amazing that the angels sang and shouted for joy.
  • 00:13:18.387 --> 00:13:24.226
  • If god had created a world that was contrary to his character,
  • 00:13:24.226 --> 00:13:28.197
  • If it was a world where the natural
  • 00:13:28.197 --> 00:13:29.899
  • And the biological systems didn't operate on love,
  • 00:13:29.899 --> 00:13:33.335
  • On universal giving and nurturing,
  • 00:13:33.335 --> 00:13:36.138
  • The angels would have responded with shock and confusion.
  • 00:13:36.138 --> 00:13:39.541
  • But they sang, and they celebrated,
  • 00:13:39.541 --> 00:13:42.411
  • Indicating that the world as it was originally created
  • 00:13:42.411 --> 00:13:45.414
  • Was really different from what we see around us now,
  • 00:13:45.414 --> 00:13:48.851
  • And it was completely consistent with the character of god.
  • 00:13:48.851 --> 00:13:52.821
  • Its organizing principle was love.
  • 00:13:52.821 --> 00:13:57.326
  • So can we be sure about that?
  • 00:13:57.326 --> 00:13:59.161
  • Well, yes, we can.
  • 00:13:59.161 --> 00:14:00.596
  • In the first part of isaiah chapter 11 jesus is foretold,
  • 00:14:00.596 --> 00:14:04.466
  • Including his character and his ministry.
  • 00:14:04.466 --> 00:14:07.436
  • And then, a few characteristics of his restored kingdom
  • 00:14:07.436 --> 00:14:10.940
  • Are described, including that a lion will lay down with a lamb
  • 00:14:10.940 --> 00:14:15.177
  • And that snakes will not be a threat, even to children.
  • 00:14:15.177 --> 00:14:19.415
  • In verse 9, christ is quoted in the first person
  • 00:14:19.415 --> 00:14:22.551
  • And says of the re-created earth,
  • 00:14:22.551 --> 00:14:24.820
  • "they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain."
  • 00:14:24.820 --> 00:14:29.925
  • Which means the re-created earth will be very different
  • 00:14:29.925 --> 00:14:33.529
  • From the one in which we live.
  • 00:14:33.529 --> 00:14:34.997
  • It'll be so different, in so many ways,
  • 00:14:34.997 --> 00:14:37.833
  • That it will require a different organizing principle.
  • 00:14:37.833 --> 00:14:41.537
  • Its entire system of operating will be different.
  • 00:14:41.537 --> 00:14:46.408
  • How does this assure us that god didn't create the world
  • 00:14:46.475 --> 00:14:49.745
  • The way it is now?
  • 00:14:49.745 --> 00:14:50.980
  • [lions snarl]
  • 00:14:50.980 --> 00:14:52.848
  • Two things.
  • 00:14:52.848 --> 00:14:54.083
  • First, in that same chapter, isaiah 11, it says in verse 7,
  • 00:14:54.083 --> 00:14:59.154
  • "the cow and the bear shall graze;
  • 00:14:59.154 --> 00:15:01.857
  • Their young ones shall lie down together;
  • 00:15:01.857 --> 00:15:04.326
  • And the lion shall eat straw like the ox."
  • 00:15:04.326 --> 00:15:08.097
  • ♪[soft music]♪
  • 00:15:08.097 --> 00:15:10.733
  • So bears will graze like cows, and lions will eat straw.
  • 00:15:10.733 --> 00:15:15.471
  • This is so different from the reality we now see around us.
  • 00:15:15.471 --> 00:15:19.908
  • We know that the world just doesn't work that way,
  • 00:15:19.908 --> 00:15:21.677
  • At least not right now.
  • 00:15:21.677 --> 00:15:23.479
  • What the bible describes is foreign to us;
  • 00:15:23.479 --> 00:15:26.248
  • It's almost unbelievable.
  • 00:15:26.248 --> 00:15:28.550
  • But let's go back to the book of genesis,
  • 00:15:28.550 --> 00:15:32.221
  • Towards the end of the first chapter of this amazing book.
  • 00:15:32.221 --> 00:15:35.657
  • God is giving instructions for his newly created earth.
  • 00:15:35.657 --> 00:15:40.195
  • There's a passage describing what humans and animals
  • 00:15:40.195 --> 00:15:43.532
  • Are supposed to eat.
  • 00:15:43.532 --> 00:15:44.933
  • And in verses 29 and 30, the bible says this:
  • 00:15:44.933 --> 00:15:49.171
  • "and god said, 'see, i have given you every herb
  • 00:15:49.171 --> 00:15:52.708
  • That yields seed which is on the face of all the earth,
  • 00:15:52.708 --> 00:15:56.345
  • And every tree whose fruit yields seed;
  • 00:15:56.345 --> 00:16:00.249
  • To you it shall be for food.
  • 00:16:00.249 --> 00:16:03.385
  • Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air,
  • 00:16:03.385 --> 00:16:07.623
  • And to everything that creeps on the earth,
  • 00:16:07.623 --> 00:16:09.691
  • In which there is life,
  • 00:16:09.691 --> 00:16:11.527
  • I have given every green herb for food.'"
  • 00:16:11.527 --> 00:16:14.596
  • What the bible is saying is that everything god created,
  • 00:16:14.596 --> 00:16:18.100
  • Humans and animals, ate plants.
  • 00:16:18.100 --> 00:16:21.904
  • They didn't kill other creatures to survive.
  • 00:16:21.904 --> 00:16:24.706
  • Now, that kind of world would require
  • 00:16:24.706 --> 00:16:26.175
  • An entirely different system of operating
  • 00:16:26.175 --> 00:16:28.544
  • From what we see around us today.
  • 00:16:28.544 --> 00:16:30.712
  • But then that's exactly what the bible says existed.
  • 00:16:30.712 --> 00:16:33.649
  • When god created the world, it was profoundly different
  • 00:16:33.649 --> 00:16:37.986
  • From what we see around us today.
  • 00:16:37.986 --> 00:16:40.422
  • And here's the thing;
  • 00:16:40.422 --> 00:16:41.857
  • God will return the world to his original model
  • 00:16:41.857 --> 00:16:44.893
  • When the earth is made new.
  • 00:16:44.893 --> 00:16:46.895
  • And something that wasn't changed
  • 00:16:46.895 --> 00:16:49.098
  • Doesn't need to be restored.
  • 00:16:49.098 --> 00:16:50.999
  • Now, we can go even further with this.
  • 00:16:50.999 --> 00:16:52.601
  • In revelation 11:18, where john writes
  • 00:16:52.601 --> 00:16:55.370
  • About the very end of days and the condition of the earth,
  • 00:16:55.370 --> 00:16:58.707
  • God says that he will "destroy those who destroy the earth."
  • 00:16:58.707 --> 00:17:03.579
  • So not only is the earth fundamentally changed,
  • 00:17:03.579 --> 00:17:06.815
  • Not only did god not change it, he's unhappy about it,
  • 00:17:06.815 --> 00:17:11.753
  • And he will bring to justice those who did the changing.
  • 00:17:11.753 --> 00:17:14.990
  • He will destroy those who did it.
  • 00:17:14.990 --> 00:17:18.293
  • So, based on what the bible says,
  • 00:17:18.293 --> 00:17:20.195
  • We can be sure that the earth was changed dramatically,
  • 00:17:20.195 --> 00:17:23.832
  • Fundamentally from the way god created it.
  • 00:17:23.832 --> 00:17:27.035
  • We can also be sure that it will be restored to what it once was.
  • 00:17:27.035 --> 00:17:32.141
  • Now, in a moment, i will introduce you to a friend.
  • 00:17:32.141 --> 00:17:36.345
  • Well, not a friend exactly,
  • 00:17:36.345 --> 00:17:40.482
  • But a scorpion is a good example of just what i'm talking about.
  • 00:17:40.482 --> 00:17:44.853
  • Back with more in just a moment.
  • 00:17:44.853 --> 00:17:47.723
  • ♪[music]♪
  • 00:17:47.723 --> 00:17:56.698
  • >>john: thank you for remembering that it is written
  • 00:17:56.765 --> 00:17:58.767
  • Exists because of the kindness of people just like you.
  • 00:17:58.767 --> 00:18:02.137
  • To support this international life-changing ministry,
  • 00:18:02.137 --> 00:18:05.374
  • Please call us now at 800-253-3000.
  • 00:18:05.374 --> 00:18:09.645
  • You can send your tax-deductible gift
  • 00:18:09.645 --> 00:18:11.113
  • To the address on your screen,
  • 00:18:11.113 --> 00:18:12.581
  • Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com.
  • 00:18:12.581 --> 00:18:16.418
  • Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support.
  • 00:18:16.418 --> 00:18:19.254
  • Our number again is 800-253-3000,
  • 00:18:19.254 --> 00:18:23.492
  • Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com.
  • 00:18:23.492 --> 00:18:28.263
  • >>john bradshaw: thanks for joining me on it is written.
  • 00:18:28.330 --> 00:18:31.166
  • Now, here's a major question that we really need to answer.
  • 00:18:31.166 --> 00:18:33.869
  • It baffles a lot of people.
  • 00:18:33.869 --> 00:18:36.104
  • How did the earth get changed from what it was
  • 00:18:36.104 --> 00:18:39.241
  • To what it now is?
  • 00:18:39.241 --> 00:18:40.776
  • What happened to god's earth, the earth he specially created,
  • 00:18:40.776 --> 00:18:45.047
  • The earth that reflected his character,
  • 00:18:45.047 --> 00:18:46.748
  • The earth that dazzled the angels?
  • 00:18:46.748 --> 00:18:49.851
  • This is the question that the prequel of the bible answers,
  • 00:18:49.851 --> 00:18:52.387
  • And we'll find that both the question and the answer
  • 00:18:52.387 --> 00:18:56.558
  • Are incredibly important.
  • 00:18:56.558 --> 00:19:01.163
  • Now, think of the implications of what we're talking about.
  • 00:19:01.230 --> 00:19:04.366
  • This is god we are discussing.
  • 00:19:04.366 --> 00:19:06.235
  • He is the distillation of loving-kindness.
  • 00:19:06.235 --> 00:19:09.271
  • How did the world, the world made by god,
  • 00:19:09.271 --> 00:19:12.040
  • Become something that does not reflect his character?
  • 00:19:12.040 --> 00:19:15.611
  • Think through some of these questions:
  • 00:19:15.611 --> 00:19:17.346
  • Can anything happen that's contrary to the will of god?
  • 00:19:17.346 --> 00:19:21.583
  • How could it, if god is all-powerful?
  • 00:19:21.583 --> 00:19:24.486
  • And if it did happen, then how did it happen?
  • 00:19:24.486 --> 00:19:27.956
  • And think about jesus and his life and ministry.
  • 00:19:27.956 --> 00:19:30.726
  • How does jesus play into all of this?
  • 00:19:30.726 --> 00:19:33.962
  • We've answered some important questions,
  • 00:19:33.962 --> 00:19:35.564
  • But a critical question remains.
  • 00:19:35.564 --> 00:19:38.333
  • How did the earth become something that operates
  • 00:19:38.333 --> 00:19:41.103
  • According to principles that are inconsistent
  • 00:19:41.103 --> 00:19:44.172
  • With the character of god?
  • 00:19:44.172 --> 00:19:45.907
  • ♪[ominous music]♪
  • 00:19:45.907 --> 00:19:55.384
  • [scorpion skitters over gravel]
  • 00:19:55.450 --> 00:20:10.265
  • Now, let's think for a moment about the scorpion.
  • 00:20:14.336 --> 00:20:18.940
  • You can find them right here in the desert.
  • 00:20:18.940 --> 00:20:22.511
  • They're plentiful, actually.
  • 00:20:22.511 --> 00:20:24.513
  • You can find them very easily.
  • 00:20:24.513 --> 00:20:27.015
  • ♪[fast percussion]♪
  • 00:20:27.015 --> 00:20:28.583
  • The scorpion is an intimidating creature.
  • 00:20:28.583 --> 00:20:31.386
  • Look at that stinger on its tail.
  • 00:20:31.386 --> 00:20:33.255
  • They're dangerous things.
  • 00:20:33.255 --> 00:20:35.257
  • But even apart from the stinger, its claws are imposing as well,
  • 00:20:35.257 --> 00:20:39.227
  • And it uses its stinger and claws together to deadly effect.
  • 00:20:39.227 --> 00:20:43.932
  • It's a predator that grabs other small creatures and injects them
  • 00:20:43.932 --> 00:20:47.436
  • With excruciating poison,
  • 00:20:47.436 --> 00:20:50.072
  • A venom specifically designed to overwhelm the nervous system.
  • 00:20:50.072 --> 00:20:55.277
  • Now, the venom works in a couple of different ways.
  • 00:20:55.277 --> 00:20:58.013
  • The prey is overwhelmed with excruciating pain.
  • 00:20:58.013 --> 00:21:01.450
  • Before long, it cannot coordinate its movements,
  • 00:21:01.450 --> 00:21:04.553
  • And it's incapacitated.
  • 00:21:04.553 --> 00:21:06.588
  • And then the scorpion will eat its prey,
  • 00:21:06.588 --> 00:21:10.525
  • Whether it's dead or alive.
  • 00:21:10.525 --> 00:21:13.328
  • And female scorpions will, at times,
  • 00:21:13.328 --> 00:21:16.365
  • Actually eat male scorpions during or after mating.
  • 00:21:16.365 --> 00:21:24.373
  • Some scorpions, not this one, fortunately,
  • 00:21:24.439 --> 00:21:27.376
  • Can actually kill people with their sting,
  • 00:21:27.376 --> 00:21:30.078
  • Scorpions such as the deathstalker.
  • 00:21:30.078 --> 00:21:32.848
  • That's one that you'd find in the middle east.
  • 00:21:32.848 --> 00:21:35.317
  • Now, this one wouldn't kill me if it stung me,
  • 00:21:35.317 --> 00:21:37.185
  • But it would hurt,
  • 00:21:37.185 --> 00:21:38.353
  • Something like a bee sting, maybe a little more.
  • 00:21:38.353 --> 00:21:41.256
  • So i would treat this one with a great deal of caution
  • 00:21:41.256 --> 00:21:43.792
  • And respect.
  • 00:21:43.792 --> 00:21:45.594
  • Altogether, the scorpion was cunningly,
  • 00:21:45.594 --> 00:21:48.163
  • It was brilliantly designed for its purpose
  • 00:21:48.163 --> 00:21:50.766
  • And for its environment.
  • 00:21:50.766 --> 00:21:52.000
  • But the question the scorpion raises is this:
  • 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:55.504
  • Does it reflect the character of god,
  • 00:21:55.504 --> 00:21:57.839
  • That is, as we know it now?
  • 00:21:57.839 --> 00:21:59.975
  • And if it doesn't, how did it come to be this way?
  • 00:21:59.975 --> 00:22:03.645
  • ♪[somber music]♪
  • 00:22:03.645 --> 00:22:07.816
  • The prequel of the bible answers this question,
  • 00:22:07.816 --> 00:22:10.719
  • And the prequel takes the form of a hidden story in the bible,
  • 00:22:10.719 --> 00:22:14.356
  • An intentionally hidden story, actually.
  • 00:22:14.356 --> 00:22:17.025
  • And it takes some real diligence to track it down.
  • 00:22:17.025 --> 00:22:19.528
  • It's scattered across books of the bible that were written
  • 00:22:19.528 --> 00:22:21.997
  • Over a period of some 1,500 years.
  • 00:22:21.997 --> 00:22:24.666
  • And it's non-linear.
  • 00:22:24.666 --> 00:22:26.701
  • By that, i mean it doesn't appear in order in the bible.
  • 00:22:26.701 --> 00:22:30.806
  • One writer has part of the middle of the story, let's say,
  • 00:22:30.806 --> 00:22:33.942
  • While another writer hundreds of years later
  • 00:22:33.942 --> 00:22:35.744
  • Fills in part of the beginning of the story.
  • 00:22:35.744 --> 00:22:38.046
  • The fact that it's non-linear is actually quite important
  • 00:22:38.046 --> 00:22:41.249
  • Because the bible treats some key material this way,
  • 00:22:41.249 --> 00:22:44.953
  • As in the book of revelation.
  • 00:22:44.953 --> 00:22:46.888
  • As non-linear bible stories go,
  • 00:22:46.888 --> 00:22:48.757
  • What we're going to look at next is probably the prime example.
  • 00:22:48.757 --> 00:22:53.628
  • And when we unlock the story,
  • 00:22:53.628 --> 00:22:55.730
  • You might find it profoundly alters your understanding
  • 00:22:55.730 --> 00:22:58.567
  • Of why there is death, disease, suffering,
  • 00:22:58.567 --> 00:23:01.603
  • And injustice in the world.
  • 00:23:01.603 --> 00:23:03.605
  • It also explains why this creature exists.
  • 00:23:03.605 --> 00:23:06.541
  • So what do we know about god?
  • 00:23:06.541 --> 00:23:08.543
  • We know that god is love.
  • 00:23:08.543 --> 00:23:10.412
  • John wrote those words twice in nine verses
  • 00:23:10.412 --> 00:23:13.582
  • In the book of 1 john.
  • 00:23:13.582 --> 00:23:16.418
  • Here's what we know.
  • 00:23:16.485 --> 00:23:17.886
  • Out of this chaos, god is going to create something phenomenal.
  • 00:23:17.886 --> 00:23:22.390
  • ♪[soft music]♪
  • 00:23:22.390 --> 00:23:23.625
  • Revelation 21:4 says that "god shall wipe away all tears...
  • 00:23:23.625 --> 00:23:29.231
  • And there shall be no more death,
  • 00:23:29.231 --> 00:23:31.766
  • Neither sorrow, nor crying,
  • 00:23:31.766 --> 00:23:34.536
  • Neither shall there be any more pain:
  • 00:23:34.536 --> 00:23:36.905
  • For the former things are passed away."
  • 00:23:36.905 --> 00:23:40.742
  • In isaiah 65:17, god says,
  • 00:23:40.742 --> 00:23:43.545
  • "i create new heavens and a new earth:
  • 00:23:43.545 --> 00:23:46.515
  • And the former shall not be remembered
  • 00:23:46.515 --> 00:23:48.450
  • Nor come into mind."
  • 00:23:48.450 --> 00:23:50.352
  • John wrote in revelation 21:1,
  • 00:23:50.352 --> 00:23:52.954
  • "and i saw a new heaven and a new earth:
  • 00:23:52.954 --> 00:23:56.224
  • For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away."
  • 00:23:56.224 --> 00:24:00.862
  • One day, no more bugs paralyzing other bugs.
  • 00:24:00.862 --> 00:24:05.267
  • No more toxic venom.
  • 00:24:05.267 --> 00:24:07.335
  • Better yet, no more crime, no more murder, no more injustice.
  • 00:24:07.335 --> 00:24:14.309
  • You know, peter noticed what we notice.
  • 00:24:14.309 --> 00:24:16.912
  • He noticed a dysfunctional world coming apart.
  • 00:24:16.912 --> 00:24:20.415
  • He noticed the world filled with death and hate and pain,
  • 00:24:20.415 --> 00:24:24.119
  • And he wrote in 2 peter 3 in verse 13,
  • 00:24:24.119 --> 00:24:27.255
  • "nevertheless we, according to his promise,
  • 00:24:27.255 --> 00:24:30.292
  • Look for new heavens and a new earth
  • 00:24:30.292 --> 00:24:33.828
  • In which righteousness dwells."
  • 00:24:33.828 --> 00:24:38.066
  • And we do. we look for that.
  • 00:24:38.133 --> 00:24:40.669
  • Are you looking for that?
  • 00:24:40.669 --> 00:24:42.037
  • If you are, i can tell you where you can find it.
  • 00:24:42.037 --> 00:24:44.906
  • You can find it in jesus christ,
  • 00:24:44.906 --> 00:24:47.475
  • Who left heaven and came to this earth gone astray
  • 00:24:47.475 --> 00:24:50.812
  • To show you that in spite of what you see,
  • 00:24:50.812 --> 00:24:53.048
  • In spite of what you don't understand,
  • 00:24:53.048 --> 00:24:55.450
  • That god is love,
  • 00:24:55.450 --> 00:24:57.719
  • And that the god who is love
  • 00:24:57.719 --> 00:24:59.588
  • Loves you and wants you to spend eternity with him.
  • 00:24:59.588 --> 00:25:07.462
  • Next time on it is written,
  • 00:25:07.529 --> 00:25:09.197
  • We'll delve deeper into the prequel of the bible.
  • 00:25:09.197 --> 00:25:12.801
  • We'll find out how it came to be that the earth
  • 00:25:12.801 --> 00:25:14.669
  • Was so radically changed from what it was
  • 00:25:14.669 --> 00:25:18.006
  • To what it has become.
  • 00:25:18.006 --> 00:25:19.808
  • And we'll begin to answer some of the most important questions
  • 00:25:19.808 --> 00:25:23.745
  • That have ever been posed.
  • 00:25:23.745 --> 00:25:27.549
  • >>john: now, here's a question: can god be trusted?
  • 00:25:27.616 --> 00:25:31.386
  • Either you've asked that question yourself,
  • 00:25:31.386 --> 00:25:33.221
  • Or you know somebody who has, and i've got an answer for you.
  • 00:25:33.221 --> 00:25:36.825
  • I'd like you to get today's free offer,
  • 00:25:36.825 --> 00:25:39.027
  • "can god be trusted?"
  • 00:25:39.027 --> 00:25:41.096
  • To receive it, call 800-253-3000,
  • 00:25:41.096 --> 00:25:44.566
  • Write to the address on your screen,
  • 00:25:44.566 --> 00:25:46.334
  • Or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
  • 00:25:46.334 --> 00:25:49.871
  • "can god be trusted?"
  • 00:25:49.871 --> 00:25:51.272
  • I have an answer for you, 800-253-3000,
  • 00:25:51.272 --> 00:25:54.576
  • Or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
  • 00:25:54.576 --> 00:25:58.380
  • >>john bradshaw: let's pray together now.
  • 00:25:58.446 --> 00:26:00.148
  • Our father in heaven, we thank you today
  • 00:26:00.148 --> 00:26:02.651
  • That in spite of the confusion and the chaos and the carnage
  • 00:26:02.651 --> 00:26:05.987
  • That we see in the world today,
  • 00:26:05.987 --> 00:26:08.056
  • That high above the circle of the earth
  • 00:26:08.056 --> 00:26:09.858
  • There is a god who is love,
  • 00:26:09.858 --> 00:26:11.960
  • A god whose son jesus will one soon day come to this earth
  • 00:26:11.960 --> 00:26:16.064
  • And take us home to a place of absolute perfection.
  • 00:26:16.064 --> 00:26:19.701
  • We pray that that day would come soon,
  • 00:26:19.701 --> 00:26:22.003
  • But until it does, give us faith in you.
  • 00:26:22.003 --> 00:26:25.140
  • Help us to trust in you, to believe in you.
  • 00:26:25.140 --> 00:26:28.076
  • We thank you; we praise you; we love you.
  • 00:26:28.076 --> 00:26:29.811
  • This is your world.
  • 00:26:29.811 --> 00:26:31.212
  • We look forward to your kingdom to come,
  • 00:26:31.212 --> 00:26:33.381
  • In jesus' name.
  • 00:26:33.381 --> 00:26:35.183
  • Amen.
  • 00:26:35.183 --> 00:26:36.518
  • Thanks so much for joining me.
  • 00:26:36.518 --> 00:26:37.619
  • I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time.
  • 00:26:37.619 --> 00:26:40.055
  • Until then, remember:
  • 00:26:40.055 --> 00:26:41.856
  • "it is written, 'man shall not live by bread alone,
  • 00:26:41.856 --> 00:26:45.527
  • But by every word that proceeds from the mouth of god.'"
  • 00:26:45.527 --> 00:26:51.433
  • ♪[theme music]♪
  • 00:26:51.433 --> 00:26:51.433