Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001335
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00:07 It has stood the test of time.
00:12 God's book. 00:13 The Bible. 00:17 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:21 It is written sharing hope around the globe. 00:37 I remember as a child being fascinated with radio. 00:47 As a boy I won a transistor radio in a colouring contest, 00:51 and then I about wore out that little red radio listening to 00:54 Kasey Kasem's American Top 40. 01:01 They used to play it weeknights on a radio station I ended up 01:03 working for as an adult. 01:07 And one thing I loved about that radio was that I could even be 01:11 out on a mountain somewhere, some place so quiet you could 01:14 hear your own heart beat. 01:16 I could turn on that radio and discover that the sky was 01:19 actually alive with sounds being beamed around the planet. 01:25 Now add to that tv transmissions and satellite transmissions and 01:28 cell phones and all of that... 01:30 the sky is crowded with images and voices - way more than I 01:34 could have imagined while listening to my little red 01:37 radio. 01:38 And among all of that are three voices of life-and-death 01:43 importance, more important than any other messages being sent 01:46 anywhere on earth at this moment. 01:49 Sorting through the cosmic chatter and noise, let's find 01:52 out how we can hear the most important of all those Voices 01:55 From the Sky. 01:58 are introduced to three angels that fly in the sky-three angels 02:04 calling out to our entire world with loud messages of critical 02:08 importance. 02:10 The Bible describes these angels and their messages in the 14th 02:13 chapter of the Book of Revelation. 02:16 Today, let's consider together just the first of those three 02:20 messages-the message of the first angel of Revelation 14. 02:25 I going to begin reading Revelation chapter 14 02:27 and verse 6. 02:28 Here's what John wrote: saw another angel flying in the 02:33 midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to 02:36 those who dwell on the earth-to every nation, tribe, tongue, 02:41 and people." (Revelation 14:6) Now there's a 02:44 dramatic picture - a heavenly messenger flying in midair, 02:49 bearing an urgent message. 02:51 Throughout Revelation, angels are pictured bearing messages 02:54 from heaven to earth. 02:56 This book of Revelation is full of symbols. 02:59 The fact that angels bear this message highlights its urgency. 03:04 Here is an urgent, end-time message directly from God. 03:09 This angel is the first of three angels who are proclaiming God's 03:13 three last messages to this world-His final, most urgent 03:18 messages to you and to me. 03:20 Now God doesn't play games with us. 03:23 He does not want us ever to be caught off guard-to face a 03:27 crisis unprepared. 03:29 Amos 3 and verse 7 has God speaking like this. 03:33 Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals 03:39 His secret to His servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7 NKJV) 03:43 In Revelation, God is sending a message through 03:46 his angels that something of cataclysmic proportions is just 03:49 over the horizon: "Something big is coming," God says. 03:53 "Open up your eyes. 03:54 If you don't prepare for it, the results would be tragic. 03:58 But you don't have to be afraid. 03:59 I will be with you. 04:01 I will provide you with a way of escape. 04:03 I will show you a safe place. 04:05 Keep your eyes on me, God says, and I will tell you what to do." 04:10 So, what is this big event God wants us to focus on? 04:14 If you look at this chapter carefully, you will see 04:16 something very important in verse 14. 04:19 You see the Son of Man with a golden crown on His head and a 04:23 sharp sickle in His hand. 04:25 Revelation 14:15: "The harvest of the earth is ripe," an angel 04:30 says. 04:31 This is the Second Coming of Jesus. 04:34 This is the final judgment, when history climaxes and all human 04:37 destinies are sealed. 04:40 So obviously the messages that come right before this event are 04:42 vitally important. 04:45 They are God's last warning, God's final appeal, God's last 04:48 altar call! 04:50 Let's take a closer look at the message of the first angel: 04:55 Revelation 14 again, verse 6: "Then I saw another angel flying 05:02 in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach 05:06 to those who dwell on the earth-to every nation, tribe, 05:11 tongue, and people." 05:13 (Revelation 14:6) So just who is 05:15 this message for? 05:17 We are going to find that out in just a moment. 05:22 In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God says "It is written 'Man shall 05:26 not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of 05:31 the mouth of God'." 05:32 Every Word is a one minute Bible-based daily devotional 05:35 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed especially 05:39 for busy people like you. 05:40 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it on-line 05:44 everyday on our website itiswritten.com. 05:48 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 05:49 Watch Every Word. 05:51 You'll be glad you did. 05:53 Here's a sample. 06:03 A leper came to Jesus one day and said, "Lord, if you are 06:07 willing, you can make me clean." 06:09 Which was quite the statement. 06:10 Leprosy was a dreaded disease back in that day when there were 06:14 no drugs to treat it. 06:15 It still is a rough disease. 06:17 But the leper was confident in what Jesus could do. 06:20 And Jesus said something that might encourage you today. 06:23 He said, "I am willing. 06:25 Be cleansed." 06:26 If you are willing. 06:28 I AM willing. 06:30 The same Jesus who cleansed the leper way back then is just as 06:33 willing today to cleanse you, from the leprosy of sin. 06:37 If there's something that plagues you, you can take that 06:40 issue to Jesus and know that He will cleanse you from that and 06:44 make you whole. 06:45 Just as He cleansed lepers when He was on the earth, Jesus is 06:47 still in the business of cleaning people up. 06:52 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 06:53 Let's live today by Every Word. 06:58 Planning for your financial future is a vital aspect 07:01 of Christian stewardship. 07:02 For this reason It Is Written is pleased to offer free 07:05 planned giving and estate services. 07:07 For information on how we can help you, please call 07:10 1.800.992.2219. 07:14 Call today or visit our special website, 07:17 www.hislegacy.com. 07:27 We're looking today at the messages of the Three Angels of 07:30 the book of Revelation. 07:32 So just who are these messages for? 07:35 Does the Bible say they're aimed at Canadians or only those who 07:39 speak Spanish, for instance? 07:41 Are they targeted only at those who live in big cities? 07:44 No, they go to every nation, to every tribe, to every language, 07:48 to every people. 07:50 These messages are to leap across geographical boundaries 07:53 and ethnic barriers. 07:55 This is God's universal message for the whole world. 07:58 The message begins with an angel having "the everlasting gospel" 08:02 to preach. 08:03 The gospel doesn't ever change. 08:06 The good news that saved Paul is the same good news that will 08:09 save the last person on earth. 08:12 It's the good news of Jesus' love, Jesus' salvation. 08:16 So all that these three angels say must be understood in the 08:19 context of the gospel. 08:21 Forces are unleashed at the end of time that try to distort and 08:24 compromise the gospel. 08:26 That's what these warnings are about. 08:28 So let's try to identify this "everlasting gospel" as clearly 08:32 as we can from the words of Scripture. 08:35 When the Apostle Paul wanted to define the gospel which he 08:39 preached, he summed it up this way in 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4. 08:46 Here's what he said: "For I delivered to you first of all 08:50 that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins 08:54 according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He 08:58 rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 09:01 (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4) The everlasting gospel, 09:04 as outlined in these verses, contains four key elements. 09:08 First, Jesus Christ died for our sins. 09:11 He, our Creator, a sinless being, voluntarily marched down 09:16 that bloody road to Golgotha. 09:18 He placed his wrists on the cross. 09:21 He allowed soldiers to pound spikes into his limbs, and He 09:24 did it on our behalf. 09:26 Christ voluntarily took the penalty of sin so that we 09:30 wouldn't have to. 09:31 In the most well-known verse in the Bible, Jesus put it 09:34 beautifully when He said, "For God so loved the world that He 09:38 gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should 09:42 not perish but have everlasting life." 09:45 (That's John 3:16) This is the essence 09:49 of the gospel. 09:50 Christ died for our sins. 09:53 His death was for us. 09:57 Second, at the cross, Christ also laid down his perfect life 10:04 as a substitute for our sinful life. 10:07 His righteousness is credited to us. 10:10 We are forgiven and accepted in Jesus Christ. 10:14 We can enter heaven because of the welcome He receives. 10:19 Third, Christ rose from the dead. 10:23 He came through the ordeal of the cross victorious. 10:26 He triumphed over the forces of evil. 10:29 Three days after His broken body was taken down from that old 10:32 rugged cross, He arose. 10:34 An angel rolled the stone away from his tomb, and Jesus 10:39 walked out. 10:40 Fourth, Christ ascended to the Father in heaven. 10:45 He comes before God to present His sacrifice on our behalf. 10:49 He wins for us pardon and acceptance. 10:53 The most important question you will ever have to face in your 10:56 life is this one-"What must I do to be saved?" 11:01 It is the most important question at this very moment in 11:04 your life-the most important question when you take your last 11:07 breath. 11:10 You know, the cross gives us a clear answer to that question. 11:14 The cross is the solution. 11:16 The cross restores our broken relationship with God. 11:21 The gospel is the backdrop for the message of the first angel 11:25 in Revelation 14. 11:26 He proclaims in a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, 11:32 for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made 11:36 heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." 11:40 (Revelation 14:7) The message has three parts. 11:45 First, it tells us what we're supposed to be doing. 11:48 Second, it tells us why we are supposed to do it. 11:52 And thirdly, it tells us what has happened that makes this 11:56 command so critically important. 11:59 So first, let's look at what we're supposed to be doing. 12:02 The message tells us to fear God and give glory to Him. 12:07 Well what does it mean to fear God? 12:09 We'd better know if a messenger from heaven is telling us we're 12:12 supposed to be doing it. 12:13 To fear God means to stand in awe of God. 12:17 To stand in awe means to deeply admire, revere and respect. 12:22 If we respect someone, we long to please or obey them. 12:26 Throughout the Bible, fearing God or respecting God and 12:29 obeying God are linked together. 12:32 Solomon said this in Ecclesiastes, and chapter 12, 12:37 Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 "Let us hear the conclusion of 12:43 the whole matter. 12:44 Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the 12:48 whole duty of man, for God shall bring every work into judgment, 12:53 with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it 12:57 be bad." (Ecclesiastes 12:13) Today, the 12:59 common belief of millions is-"I can do whatever I choose; I am 13:03 only accountable to myself; no standard of right or wrong 13:07 exists outside of my own mind." 13:09 The book of Revelation gives us an urgent call-"Fear God", that 13:16 is, obey God. 13:18 There IS a standard outside of your mind. 13:21 John put this into sharp focus. 13:23 He said this in Revelation 14:12. 13:26 "Here is the patience [endurance] of the saints; here 13:29 are those who keep the commandments of God and the 13:32 faith of Jesus." 13:34 (That's Revelation 14:12) In the last days 13:38 of earth's history, God has sent an urgent, loving, 13:40 truth-filled message calling us back to obedience to Him. 13:44 Throughout history, God has had a people who have been 13:47 faithfully obedient to Him. 13:48 John says there is more, Revelation chapter 14:7: 13:53 "Fear God and give him glory." 13:55 (Revelation 14:7) What does that mean? 13:58 Giving God glory means honoring God in everything we do. 14:03 'Glory' is a word reserved for the highest form of adoration. 14:07 To give God glory means that our entire life is surrendered to 14:11 reflecting His will for us. 14:14 Paul clarifies what it means to glorify God with these words in 14:17 1 Corinthians, chapter 6: therefore glorify God in your 14:22 body and in your spirit, which are God's." 14:25 That's 1 Corinthians 6:20. 14:27 Here is a powerful concept: glorify God in all of your 14:31 actions. 14:32 You do not give glory to God by placing abusive substances in 14:37 the body. 14:39 You don't give glory to God by polluting your mind with this 14:41 world's filth. 14:43 You glorify God by saying, "Lord, my body is yours. 14:47 My mind is yours. 14:49 My spirit that's yours too." 14:51 So that's the first part of the message of the first angel in 14:55 Revelation 14. 14:57 We'll look at parts 2 and 3 right ahead. 15:01 [Music] 15:17 Here's today's Bible question. 15:19 Jesus says in the Bible that a Christian is suppose to "take up 15:24 his cross and follow him." 15:26 What does that mean? 15:28 How do I take up his cross? 15:30 That's a serious question, and it deals with the reality of the 15:33 Christian experience. 15:35 The Roman cross was an instrument of torture and death. 15:38 People died on crosses. 15:40 And here Jesus says to take up the cross and follow Him. 15:43 He's saying this. 15:44 A life of following Jesus is a life of setting aside our own 15:47 intentions and wants and letting God's will be done. 15:51 When a Christian comes to Christ, and when Christ Jesus 15:55 comes into a person's life, that person really 'dies' - 15:59 not a literal let's-get-you-to-the-graveyard 16:02 death, but a spiritual death. 16:04 The old you --gone. 16:06 The selfish, self-centred, self-governing you is gone, and 16:10 in the place of the old you is a new you who desires for God's 16:14 will to be done in your life. 16:16 Christianity is a life of self-denial. 16:18 Now, don't get me wrong. 16:19 I'm not saying Christianity is a life of drudgery and misery. 16:23 No - the idea of a life of self-denial is the idea of a 16:26 life of freedom and blessing. 16:29 Self isn't going to get you anywhere good. 16:31 Surrender to Jesus allows "His" will to be done and His blessing 16:36 to be let loose in your life. 16:38 What we really want is for God's will to be done. 16:41 When we lay aside our own selfish, short-sighted wants, 16:45 when we say 'no' to our self-centered wants, we say 16:49 'Yes' to Jesus and we allow Him to lead our lives. 16:52 We take up our cross. 16:55 It isn't our will being done now. 16:57 The old us is gone - dead. 16:59 Now it is Jesus' will being done. 17:02 And that's always a better way to live. 17:07 To send me your Bible questions, go to ItIsWritten.com. 17:11 [Music] 17:16 Now to the second part of the end-time message of the first 17:19 angel in Revelation 14. 17:22 The angel tells us why we are supposed to do this; why we 17:25 should fear and glorify God. 17:28 The Bible tells us repeatedly to worship God for one reason: 17:32 quite simply, He's the Creator. 17:34 What does the angel say here in Revelation 14:7? 17:39 "Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and 17:44 springs of water." 17:44 (Revelation 14:7) The very reason 17:47 we worship God is because He created us, John says, back 17:51 in Revelation 4:11: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory 17:56 and honor and power; for You created all things and by 18:02 Your will they exist and were created." 18:06 (Revelation 4:11) In an age when 18:08 the popular, so-called scientific view is that the 18:10 human race evolved over millions of years from single-celled 18:15 amoebas, God calls our society back to worship Him as the 18:18 Creator. 18:21 Earth's final conflict, earth's last spiritual war, will be 18:26 centered on this subject of worship. 18:28 Revelation 14:7 calls us to worship the Creator. 18:32 Revelation 14:9 calls us to avoid worshiping the beast. 18:39 These two worships-worshiping the creator and worshiping the 18:42 beast-will form the heart of a titanic struggle between the 18:47 forces of good and evil. 18:49 That struggle will involve an alarming economic boycott, the 18:53 enforcement of the Mark of the Beast, and the mysterious number 18:56 666. 18:58 Now let's look at the third part of this message. 19:02 This tells us what has happened that makes our allegiance, our 19:05 worship, so critical. 19:08 ThThe angel proclaims that the hour of God's judgment has come. 19:12 Now, many people shy away from the idea of a divine judgment, 19:17 believing it's just too scary to stand before God to give account 19:20 of what they have done. 19:22 Some even believe it contradicts the idea of a loving, accepting 19:26 God. 19:27 He just forgives period, they say; He doesn't need to sort 19:30 things out in a judgment. 19:32 Now let's step back a moment and get a broader perspective on 19:35 this subject. 19:37 Let's start with the very first verse in the book of Revelation, 19:40 Revelation 1 and verse 1, Revelation 1:1: "The Revelation 19:47 of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants things 19:52 which must shortly take place." 19:56 (Revelation 1:1) So, who is this book of Revelation revealing? 19:59 Jesus Christ. 20:01 If you want to get to know Jesus, read the gospels, read 20:04 about His life. 20:06 But don't stop there if you want the whole picture. 20:09 The book of Revelation is a revelation of Jesus Christ too. 20:13 It shows us Jesus in the end times. 20:15 And it shows Jesus involved in judgment. 20:18 But here's the good news: the gospel of Jesus, the good news 20:21 of His salvation, is also involved in the judgment. 20:25 We need to understand that. 20:27 The truth of the gospel does not remove the truth of the 20:30 judgment. 20:31 No. 20:31 The truth of the gospel is the answer to the truth of the 20:34 judgment. 20:36 Remember that, at the beginning of time, a rebel angel 20:40 challenged God's character. 20:42 Lucifer claimed that God was unfair, unjust. 20:46 He made this accusation before the whole universe. 20:49 Now, thousands of years have gone by. 20:52 The watching universe has seen the results of Satan's work 20:55 on this planet. 20:57 They've seen the cruelty, the suffering, the abuse, 21:01 the horrors of war. 21:02 The universe has also seen all the things God has done to warn 21:07 people about the results of sin, all the things He has done to 21:09 save us. 21:11 But there are still questions-big questions. 21:14 Has God been fair in his dealings with every individual? 21:18 Has everyone truly had a chance to make a decision about 21:21 eternity? 21:23 The judgment answers those questions. 21:26 In the judgment, as cases are reviewed, everyone gets a chance 21:30 to see that God has been fair and just. 21:33 Everyone can see that anyone who is lost is lost because of his 21:37 own choices. 21:39 God has done everything He can do to save them. 21:44 At the end of time, the whole universe will joyfully proclaim 21:47 in one chorus of praise: "True and righteous are His 21:51 judgments." (Revelation 19:2) The judgment 21:57 is also about dealing with sin once and for all. 22:00 God has to draw a line at some point and say, "Enough!" 22:04 He doesn't want sin and suffering to go on forever. 22:08 But He will bring an end to sin openly and fairly. 22:13 He will allow everyone to see exactly how He's reached His 22:15 decisions. 22:17 Sin is a deadly disease-a lethal virus let loose on this planet. 22:22 God is going to eradicate it. 22:24 But he will do that only at the point where every person has 22:27 made a choice-at a time when people have chosen between 22:31 allegiance to Satan or allegiance to God. 22:35 A time is coming when those choices will seal destinies 22:38 forever. 22:40 Jesus is coming back, and will destroy sin. 22:44 That's why he has given us this urgent message about His 22:48 judgment-about worship and allegiance. 22:50 We are rushing headlong toward the end of time. 22:52 We are speeding toward a collision with the final events 22:55 of earth's history. 22:57 The judgment is upon us. 22:59 And too many have been lulled into a false sense of security 23:02 that everything is business as usual, that just drifting along 23:05 is good enough. 23:09 This planet is going down just as surely as the Titanic sunk to 23:13 the bottom of the Atlantic. 23:15 But today we can take hold of the hand extended down to us. 23:20 Jesus reaches down to this earth to give eternal life to all who 23:24 will accept it from Him. 23:25 Voices from the sky call to us today: in a world that is 23:29 sinking, you can have hope, certainty and security. 23:32 You can know that God will forgive your sins and give you a 23:37 new heart and He'll do that or you right now. 23:42 Friend, how would you be if you were called to stand before God 23:47 right now and give account of your life. 23:48 That first angel's message calls to us with good news, "fear God, 23:55 give glory to him. 23:56 We can do that as Christ lives his life in us. 23:59 The hour of his judgment is come and we can be confident known 24:03 that Jesus is our Saviour and our Lord. 24:07 Would you like Jesus to be your Saviour and your Lord? 24:10 If he isn't, let me say, if he is, great. 24:13 Hold on tight to Jesus and never let go. 24:17 If he isn't why don't you make a decision right now to ask Jesus 24:20 to come into your life and be everything in your life that he 24:24 wants to be. 24:25 Let's pray together. 24:27 Our Father in heaven, we thank you today for this first angel's 24:30 message, for this voice from the sky, for your call to us to be 24:37 ready to meet Jesus when he comes to gather up his waiting 24:39 saints. 24:41 I pray, dear Lord, that we would know Christ, that we would trust 24:44 him. 24:46 That we would say "yes, take my sin, clean it up, take my heart 24:49 and make it yours, take my life and make it new. 24:57 We ask you today to do this work in our lives and we will have 25:00 confidence that we can go from here certain that we are yours 25:02 and you are ours. 25:02 We pray with thanks today, we pray in Jesus' name, amen. 25:20 [Music] 25:37 An ancient city rises...the most wicked city on earth 25:53 the prophets said it would be destroyed ... 25:59 they were right. 26:05 It has never been rebuilt yet the ancient prophets saw her 26:11 rising...and then the world ends. 26:23 Babylon rising. 26:30 Do you know what's coming? 26:34 Babylon rising is a dynamic book by pastor John Bradshaw that 26:39 describes the significance of Babylon in Bible prophecy. 26:43 Right now this powerful book is available free from It Is 26:45 Written. 26:45 Just call 1 800 253 3000. 26:47 Ask for the book Babylon Rising or write to It Is Written, Box 26:53 O, Thousand Oaks, CA 91359 and we will mail a copy to your 26:57 address in North America. 26:59 Please note this free book is limited to the supply on hand. 27:03 For even faster access you can download a free, electronic 27:05 version of the book Babylon Rising from our website. 27:08 Babylon Rising is also a four-part seminar by John 27:11 Bradshaw. 27:12 For details, please visit our website, itiswritten.com and 27:16 discover more about Babylon Rising and many other 27:19 inspirational resources. 27:21 It Is Written is a faith-based outreach made possible by 27:24 viewers like you. 27:25 Thank you for your support. 27:27 Our toll-free number is 1 800 253 3000 and our web address 27:31 itiswritten.com 27:36 Thanks for joining me today. 27:37 I'm looking forward to seeing you next time. 27:40 And until then, remember - the Bible says: It Is Written: man 27:45 shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds 27:49 From the Mouth of God |
Revised 2015-02-05