Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW021240S
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00:16 ♪[music ends]♪♪
00:19 ♪[soft music]♪ 00:22 >>John Bradshaw: Nobody expected them to win. 00:25 They were basicalllly a team of college kids. 00:27 Average age was just 21. 00:30 Now, theirir opponents had won 00:32 the last four Olympic gold medals.s. 00:34 Th hadn't lost a game at the Olympics in 12 years,, 00:37 and ththeir record against the United States 00:40 over the previvious 20 years was 28 wins against 7 losses. 00:45 And in case you're forgettinghe era, 00:48 Soviet teams were made up from the very best plalayers 00:50 from Russia and the Ukraine d Kazakhstan 00:53 and Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and Moldldova and Estonia 00:56 and Lithuania--15 different cotries in all. 01:01 The Soviets were the very best. 01:03 They were full-t-time professionals. 01:06 The United States didn't he a chance. 01:09 ♪[briright piano music]♪ 01:11 But t that U.S. team, coached by Minnesotan Herbrooks, 01:15 played their hearts out. 01:20 They beat the Soviets following a goal fouroals to three, late in the game 01:22 scored by team captain ke Eruzione. 01:25 Then they went o to play Finland, 01:27 and they beat Finland,and they won Olympic gold. 01:32 What helped make that victory overer the Soviets in 1980 01:35 so memorable, it took its place in sports legend, 01:39 was one of the most famous lines ever uttttered 01:42 in t the history of sports commentary. 01:45 With just seconds to go 01:46 and victory now in the grasp of the U. team, 01:49 Al Michaels famously said, 01:52 "Do you believe e in miracles?" 01:55 Now, whahappened at Lake Placid in 1980 wasn't a miracle. 02:01 It was totally unexpected, absolulutely. 02:03 ItIt was an upset, no doubt. But not a miracle. 02:09 You know, when the New England Patriots camback 02:11 fr being down 28 points to 3 to win the Super Bowlwl, 02:14 or, or when that littltle high school team from Indiana 02:18 won the state e basketball championship, 02:20 oror when Leicester City won the English PremieLeague, 02:23 no those were surprises, absolutely. 02:28 But they weren't miracles. 02:30 ♪[music connues]♪ 02:40 [s[skids skates to a stop] 02:42 So what's a miracle? 02:44 Aparfrom me being able to stay up on these skates? 02:47 I've come to Boston to talk to M Mike Eruzione, 02:50 who was the ptain of the U.S. Olympic hockey team 02:52 that won that gold medal in 1980. 02:54 In fact, he scored the iconic winnining goal. 02:57 I wanted to fifind out about miracles, the mirae, 03:00 "theiracle on ice" 03:01 from the perspective of a man who livedt. 03:04 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 03:05 So tell me what was on your mind, 03:07 the mind of the players, as you're building up to o this game? 03:10 We look at it now rough the lens of history, 03:11 but how were you looking at it then at thtime? 03:14 >>Mike Eruzione: Uh, an opportunity to,o, 03:15 to win a game and play for a medal, p play for the gold medal. 03:19 , and I think that was kind of the mindset. 03:21 You know, you can't go in too high; 03:22 you can't go in too low;w; you've got to be focused 03:24 and prepared and understand what's at t stake. 03:25 AnI think we went in with all the emotions you havave 03:28 for a big game, you know, excited, you're nervrvous, 03:30 you're curious, um, buI think, you know, again, 03:34 our mindsewas, let's-- one shift at a time, 03:37 one period at a time, and when the game's over, 03:39 let's see what the enresult is. 03:40 And, you know, we ended up us wiwinning, 03:43 and now 've got another game to play. 03:45 >>John: : Did, did you come into the game with any, , 03:47 any of that po-- political baggage 03:49 or the historical baggage? 03:50 >>Mike: Yeah, no. To, to u us it was a hockey game. 03:52 Um, yoknow, we knew a little bit of what was going on 03:55 around us because itit was in Lake Placid, 03:58 and we knew a little bit of the political climate 04:00 because of thehe people in Lake Placid 04:01 with waving the flags and "U! USA!" chants, 04:04 so, the game meant a lot more to a lot of peoe 04:07 than just a hockckey game. 04:08 But fous as a hockey team, it was a hockey game. 04:11 Um, you know, by us nning, 04:12 didn't solveve all the world's problems and the crises. 04:15 But what we did, I think, was we brorought joy and pride back 04:18 to a nion that was looking for something. 04:21 You know, as aountry we were looking for something 04:22 to feel good about-- 04:23 I mean, almost what we're dealaling with now. 04:27 >>John: So the game is known And it happened to bus. as "the miracle e on ice." 04:31 Was it a miracle? 04:32 >>Mike: No. I, I've never-- 04:33 you know, I mean, "miracle" is a catchchy phrase, 04:36 uh, and it sounds ally nice. 04:38 Miracles are to me, yoyou know, some of the things 04:40 that o our doctors and nurses do day in and day out, 04:43 the lives that they save, an you read about, you know, 04:45 uh, a, a building that cocollapses, and all of a sudden, 04:49 three daysater they find somebody that's alive-- 04:51 I mean, those, those e are miracles. 04:53 Those e are things that I look at. 04:54 Uh, I, I don't't consider sporting events miracles. 04:57 >>John: Was there ever a m moment looking back where like, 04:59 "Man, I, I might not have been involved inin that, 05:01 if but for this"? 05:05 >>Mike: Yeah, , I mean, I, What if I didn't make the team? I got invited to the tryout. 05:06 What if he cut me? Which he threatened do. 05:07 >>John: He did? 05:09 >>Mike: Oh yeah. He threatened righght before the Olympics. 05:10 And I think heas just sending a message to the team, 05:13 you know, uh, ife's willing to cut Mike, 05:15 he's willing to cut anybody. 05:16 We--becacause no, no guaranteed spots 05:18 until you got to Lake Placid. 05:19 So, yeah, I, you know,w, always think about that. 05:21 Umyou know, I'll sit here sometimes 05:23 in my, my living r room, or I sit out in the backyard, 05:25 look a around, and see what I have now, and I thin 05:28 "Boy, we could've lost." 05:29 >>John: Yeah. 05:30 >>Mike: We didt, and I'm fortunate and, you know, 05:32 blesessed to, to do the things I've been able to , 05:34 but I also undstand that, uh, you know, 05:37 that there's m more to life than, 05:38 like my daalways said, than athletics. 05:40 >>>>John: What do you tell kids who are lookinto get ahead 05:42 in life? Not, not in hockey or, --hockey's part of life, 05:45 whether it's hockey, school, siness--but in life. 05:48 >>Mike: I think it's just being a good kid. 05:50 Uh, like I told my o own kids, that what I did in life 05:52 was what I did; what you dois what you do. 05:54 I don't care if you make touchdowns 05:56 and, and get winning goalsls. I want you to be a good kid. 05:58 Be a good brother; be a good sister;; 06:00 be a good neighbor; be good friend. 06:02 When the smoke clears, people--I don'want people 06:04 to remember me aa guy who won a gold medal. 06:07 I want them to remember me as the type of pererson I was. 06:09 Be a good kid; make the right chois in life. 06:11 >>John: Mike, we could talk all day. 06:13 [Mike laughs] This has been, this has been ntastic. 06:15 I really appreciate you taking your time. 06:16 >>Mike: ank you for that pleasure. 06:17 >>>>John: Appreciate it. 06:18 >>Mike: God bless you, and thanks for your company.y. 06:19 >>John: Thank you. 06:20 The dictionary defines a miracle as an n event 06:23 that can't be explned "by natural or scientific laws 06:27 and d is therefore [attributable] to a divine agcy." 06:31 And when you come to the Bible, yofind it's full of miracles. 06:35 In fact, if you were to open a Bible to i its very first page, 06:40 you'd be immediaiately confronted 06:41 by one of the most remarkable lines 06:43 in the histotory of literature. It says, 06:45 "In the beginning God [made] the heen and the earth." 06:50 Now, how in the world did HeHe do that? 06:53 God just made the earth? Really? 06:57 [machinery background noise, seat tnks upright] 07:00 Well, the Bible tellus how He did it. 07:04 Back then in t beginning, "God said, 07:06 'Let there be light'; and there was lighght." 07:10 He spoke it intoto existence. 07:12 Back in the PsPsalms it says, "He spoke, and it was done; 07:15 He commanded, anit stood fast." 07:17 "B"By the word of the Lord were the heavens mad 07:19 d all the host of them by the breath of His moututh." 07:23 God spoke and creaeated the world. 07:27 ♪[music fades]♪ 07:28 Now, isn't that anncredible thing 07:30 to ask a persoson to believe? 07:32 But the alternative to believing that is noess incredible. 07:36 In fac it's more incredible. 07:38 Thprevailing alternate view to Creation is evolutition, 07:42 and evolutionary theory posits thalong ago, 07:46 like, like really,really long ago, 07:49 there was absolutely nothing in existencece, 07:51 nothing at all. 07:53 BuBut then something in the nothing exploded, 07:56 and out of that explosionn the universe was formed. 07:59 [swish of skates on ice] 08:01 Two views: one, something ouout of nothing, 08:06 because an all-powerful Creator d created something 08:09 out of nothing due to the creative popower 08:11 that Hpossesses. 08:12 Now, that would be miraculous. 08:14 Two, something out of nothing because ofof...nothing, 08:20 which woululd also have to be called miraculous. 08:24 So how, then, doou reconcile this idea 08:26 of Somne creating the world? 08:30 Well, honestly, it's nonot that difficult 08:32 if you choose to believe that the Godf heaven 08:35 capable of performing supernatural acts. 08:41 ♪[soft music]♪ 08:43 You n believe that God did things for which 08:46 there's no rational explanation outstside of His creative power. 08:51 You can believe that God created in six ds 08:53 beforeesting on the seventh. 08:55 You cacan believe that Jesus fed a crowd of thousan one day 08:58 with a little boboy's lunch of just five loaves and two fish. 09:02 You cacan believe these things, 09:03 not simply because the Biblsays so, 09:06 but because when taken as a whole, 09:09 really there's n no possibility of believing anything else. 09:15 Now, it's entirely possible for two differerent people 09:18 to genuinely read the same passage of theible 09:21 and come to different conclusions. 09:23 That happens. That's okay. 09:25 That's part of the process of learning. 09:27 But what doesn't't seem reasonable is for someone 09:29 to read the Bible d then say, "I reject that." 09:32 That is, "I reject," let's say, "the miracacles of the Bible 09:36 because they're not rational." 09:39 Well, that's's not rational, because miracles are mirulous. 09:43 [elevatotor bell dings] 09:45 ♪[music continues]♪ 09:48 So let me ask yo 09:50 Is it reasonable t to believe in miracles? 09:53 And if it't's not, what are the implications of that? 09:56 I'll be right back in just a moment 09:59 with a very special guest.t. 10:02 ♪[break music builds and ends♪♪ 10:11 >>John: Now, here's question: Can God be trusted? 10:15 Either you've asked that questition yourself or you know 10:17 somebody who h has, and I've got an answer for you. 10:20 I'd like you to get toy's free offer, "Can God Be Trusted?" 10:24 To receive it, 10:25 call 800-253-3000, 10:28 wrwrite to the address on your screen, 10:30 or visit us at iiwoffer.cocom. 10:33 "Can God Be Trususted?" 10:35 I have an answer f for you: 10:36 800-253-3000 10:38 or visit us at iiwoffer.com. 10:42 >>John Bradsw: Thanks for joining me today 10:43 on It Is Written. 10:45 The Biblble says again and again that God worked miraes. 10:53 Jesus during His time His disciples worked miracles. on earth wked miracles. 10:54 So can you believe in miracles? 10:56 I would suggest you can, b but can people really work miracles? 11:02 Well, I'm about to introduce to youou a very special guest, 11:04 someone who can do the extraoinary. 11:07 His me is Todd Bogue, 11:08 and he is a Florida-based entertainer and magician. 11:12 ToTodd, thanks for joining me on It Is Wrten. 11:14 >>To Bogue: Thank you very much for having me. 11:16 >>John: I appreciate this. So you work magic,c, do you? 11:18 >>To: Yes, I do. 11:19 >>John: Does that mean you perform miracles 11:21 >>Todd: I do not. 11:22 >>John: You don't? [laughs] 11:23 >>Todd: I do n. 11:24 >>John: All riright. >>Todd: Just an entertainer. 11:25 John: An entertainer. All right, but I know 11:26 you're gonna show me something that someone's gonna say, 11:29 "How in the woworld did he do that?" So what have you got? 11:32 Todd: Uh, we're gonna do two tricks today. 11:34 Sometimes you go to a magic show, 11:35 and a magician will steal somedy's watch. 11:38 >>John: Yeah. 11:39 >>Todd: Or steal somebody's walallet. 11:40 >>John: Yeah. 11:41 >>Todd: So what I'm going to do is... 11:43 I'm going to steal somebody's phone. 11:45 >>John: Okay. 11:46 >>Todd: I'm going to steal somebody's pho, 11:47 but before that, you're going to d do a magic trick. 11:51 >>John: Oh, I ? 11:51 >>Todd: You'reoing to do a magic trick. 11:52 >>John: Oh, , no joke? >>Todd: Yes, yes. 11:53 >>Jo: All right. 11:54 >>Todd: : So we're going to do, do the old behind thear-- 11:56 I'm gonna reach behind your ear 11:59 and grab a pretend deck of cards. 12:00 >>John: Well, look at that. Okay. 12:02 >>Todd: I'm gonna hand it to you, John. 12:03 I want you to shuffle those cards,lease. 12:05 >>>>John: All right. Uh... 12:07 >>Todd: : You got to take them out of the pretend boxirst. 12:10 >>hn: Okay. [both laugh] 12:11 >>Todd: Takeke them out of the box; lay the box on the tae. 12:13 >>John: Uh, open the thing up, littlele flaps. 12:15 >>Todd: I like it. 12:16 >>John: Pull them out, leave the box here. 12:18 >>Todd: Shuffle them up. 12:19 >>John: Now shuffle themem. >>Todd: Nice. 12:20 >>John: I put th down. 12:21 I'm gonna cut the, cut the deckdo the-- 12:24 >>Todd: I like it. I want you to pull a random card out. 12:27 >>John: Okay. 12:28 >>Todd: And what is the rd you chose? 12:29 >>John: This is the seseven of diamonds. 12:31 >>ToddThe seven of diamonds. 12:32 Could yoshow everyone the seven of diamonds? 12:33 >>John: Seven of diamonds. Look at that. 12:35 >>Todd: Can you turn the seven of diands around backwards? 12:37 >>John: Yup, there i it is right there. 12:38 >>Todd: PuPut it back in the deck. 12:39 >>John: Just in the deck anywhere? 12:40 >>Todd: Mm-hmm, anywhere ithe deck. 12:41 >>John: In the deck. 12:42 >>Todd: Shuffl them up real good. 12:43 >>Todd: Nice. Put them >>Johnhn: Shuffle them. back in the box. 12:45 >>John: They're in the box. 12:46 >>Todd: Put the lid on. >>hn: Lid is on. 12:48 >>Todd: So I'll get ththis empty bag. I want you to drop 12:49 the deck of cards in the bag... 12:52 just like that. 12:53 >>John: Ooooh! 12:54 >>Todd: That was pretendnd before; now it's real. 12:56 >>John: All right. 12:57 >>Todd: Now, if you really turned around 12:59 the seven of diands, that's going to be pretty cool. 13:01 >>John: I really did. 13:02 >>Todd: [laughs] You did. >>John: YeYeah. 13:03 >>Todd: We'll see. 13:04 So there s should be one card turned around backwards. 13:09 [flicks cards] I don't see any cardturned around-- 13:12 there is, there is one card. 13:13 >>John: Uh, there it is. 13:14 >>Todd: Turn the only y card turned around backwards. 13:16 >>Jo: Okay. >>Todd: Pull it out. 13:16 >>John: Want m to pull that out? 13:17 >>Todd: Yeah. >>John: All right. 13:19 >>Todd: And ow-- >>John: This one? 13:19 >>Todd: Yep. 13:21 >>John: Oh! Get outta here. Oh, realally? [Todd laughs] 13:23 >>John: Lookt that. Look at that. 13:26 >>Todddd: [laughs] Amazing-- >>John: Wow! 13:27 Huh, the sev-- [both laugh] Well, okay. There it is. 13:32 >>Todd: Good job. 13:33 >>John: I thinI might have a career in this. 13:35 >>Todddd: [laughs] So we're gonna do something 13:36 really, really spectaculalar tonight. 13:39 Uh, David Copperfield once did >>John: Okay. >>ToTodd: This is pretty cool. something sisimilar to this 13:42 where he wald through the Great Wall of China, okay? 13:45 >>John: Yeah, sure. 13:46 >>Todd: But I'm gonna do somethg similar 13:47 with objects you are familiarar with. 13:49 >>John: Okay. 13:50 >>Todd: Take my driver's licen. 13:51 We're all familiar with a driver's license. 13:53 It's a hard ece of plastic. [flicks license] 13:55 >>John: Oh, yeah. >>John: That's the real thing. >>Todd: Solid. 13:57 >>Todd: And a cell phone, okay? 14:00 What I d did is I took a cell phone case; 14:02 I put a little slot in my y cell phone cover; 14:04 I'm gonna a take the driver's license 14:06 and go right through the cell phone. 14:11 >>John: Yeah. >>Todd: We know there's way, 14:12 , a solid can go through a solid. 14:17 >>Johnhn: No, that's right; that's solid. 14:18 >>Todd: Yeah? >>John: Yeah. 14:19 >>Todd: [t[taps phone against ring] Solid. 14:21 And earlier I said I was gonna steal somebody's p phone. 14:24 I'm gonna steal my phone. 14:26 >>John: Okay. 14:28 [clicking und] 14:29 >>dd: Turn my cell phone into a solid block of steeeel. 14:33 [ts license on phone] But there's no way... 14:35 [thunks phone onon table] that a driver's license-- 14:38 >>John: Can I touch this? 14:38 >>Todd: s, please do. 14:46 >>John: That's, that's pretty azing. [thunks phone on table] 14:49 >>Todd: Thank you very much. 14:50 >>John: That's ptty impressive. 14:52 >>Todd: FuFun stuff. 14:53 >>John: That happenened right in front of my eyes. 14:56 >>dd: Yes, sir. 14:57 >>John: And I have no idea how you did that. 15:01 You said a moment ago you're not miracle worker, but, um, 15:05 w in the world do you do this if it's not miracululous? 15:09 >>ToTodd: Years of practice. 15:11 >>John: Anybody ever worry about you? 15:12 Ever get any feedbac where people are concerned 15:14 about t what you're doing? 15:15 >>Todd: Yes, yes, yes. 15:16 Sometimes people think that, uh, what I do o is...evil. 15:20 >>Jo: Uh-huh? >>Todd: Like my mother. 15:21 One time, we were at her c church, 15:23 and after the service she asked d me to go backstage 15:28 so her and her pastor could pray fore. 15:30 >>Jo: Okay, sure. 15:31 >>Todd: And I asked her what w was wrong, uh. 15:33 And she says, "Wre worried about you." 15:36 She says, "You d didn't have these powers when you were a kid 15:39 And I'm like, "Mom, don't, I don't have powers. 15:41 I'm--I just do fun stuff." 15:44 And I actually had to show her how a couple tricks were done. 15:47 >>John: And what did she say when she saw that? 15:48 >>ToTodd: She saw that, well, that's not magic. 15:50 That's... [both laugh] that's-- anand of--it's all an illusion. 15:54 >>Todd: You know, , there's a-- >>John: Yeah. 15:55 >>ToTodd: You could explain all of it. 15:57 >>John: So, not miracles? 15:58 >>Todd: No, isisn't. 15:59 >>hn: Just a man who's good at what he does. 16:01 >>Todd: I appreciate the compliment. 16:03 >>JohnHey, thank you, appreciate you being here. 16:04 Thanyou so much. >>Todd: Thank you very much. 16:06 >>Jo: Thank you. 16:07 We both know magicians en't really magicians. 16:11 They're, they're illusionists,masters of misdirection, 16:14 causing you to see whatidn't happen 16:15 and sometimes to miss what really did. 16:18 Now, there is another kind of magic 16:20 that people ought to stay well away y from. 16:22 The supepernatural occult magic is evil. 16:26 It's something you wa to avoid. 16:27 It'seal. The devil is real. 16:29 He's a deceiver, and he' still in the business 16:32 of pulling peoplover into the realms of darkness. 16:35 Now, pululling a rabbit out of a hat isn't miraculou 16:38 Causing a driver's license to go throuough a block of steel, 16:43 it's incredible, but it's not miracous. 16:45 Yomight call it clever. 16:47 It's e entertainment, but we wouldn't say that 16:52 about anythingng that crosses Illusions, party tricks, the line into the occult. sawing someone in halflf-- 16:56 they're illusions, t magic, not miracles. 17:01 But what's way beyond clever, 17:03 what's absoluty jaw-droppingly miraculous 17:06 is God's ability to perform miracles. 17:10 Now,f your faith won't allow you to accept 17:12 that miracles happen, I'd encourage you 17:14 to reconsider the size o of your God. 17:17 In a moment we'llook at some great miracles of the Bible, 17:22 and I'll share a couple with you, too. of modern racle stories I'll be right back. 17:24 ♪[music]♪ 17:25 Hey, can you show me how u did that? 17:26 >>Todd: Sure. >>John: ThThe cell phone thing. 17:27 >>Todd: Yeah.>>John: So what did you do? 17:29 ♪[music increases and ends]♪ 17:38 >>JoJohn: Now, here's a question: Can God be trued? 17:42 Eith you've asked that question yourself 17:43 or you know somebody who has, and I've got an answer for you. 17:47 I'd like you to get todaday's free offer, "Can God Be Trusted?" 17:51 To reive it, 17:52 call 800-253-3000, 17:55 write to thehe address on your screen, 17:56 or visit us at iiwoffer.com. 18:00 "Can God Be Trusted?" 18:03 I have an answer for you: 800-253-3000 18:05 or visit uat iiwoffer.com. 18:08 ♪[soft music]♪ 18:10 >>John: The Bible is filled wiwith stories of flawed human beings 18:13 d called to serve Him in incredible ways. 18:17 He took a violent, impulsive, racacist fisherman 18:20 and transformemed him into one of Jesus' closest disciples 18:24 and one e of the most influential leaders of the ear church. 18:28 Join me for another epise of our series 18:30 "Great Characts of the Bible" as we look at the life of Peter. 18:35 Peter was far from perfect. 18:37 He was overly confident. He made e promises he didn't keep. 18:40 But his experience is an encouragagement to anyone 18:43 who knows the feeling of messing up as a foower of Jesus, 18:47 of falling short and wonderiring if you'll ever get it right. 18:52 God stk with Peter and helped him grow, 18:55 and if you let Him, He'l'll do the same for you. 18:59 "Great Characters of the Bible: PePeter," 19:02 brbrought to you by It Is Written TV. 19:05 ♪[musicic ends]♪♪ 19:09 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 19:12 Miracles--there's no doubt they happened inible times, 19:15 but do miracles still happen today? 19:19 I'll share a couple e of miracle stories with you 19:21 in just a momement. 19:23 In Bible times? 19:24 To begin wh, God called the universe into existence 19:27 from out of nothin That's a big one. 19:31 Did the Israelites really cross theed Sea 19:33 on their way out of Egyp 19:34 ll, we know that the Israelites were enslaved 19:36 in Egypt and that they got out of Egypt 19:39 and went to the promised land. 19:40 So t the facts are the Exodus really happened. 19:45 It says in the Bible that "the rd caused the sea to go back 19:49 by a strong east wind." 19:51 Some have said that t that wind was simply a natural occurrence, 19:54 a weather event. 19:56 Now, I'm not sure wh kind of wind you would have to have 19:58 that would create an opening ia sea, 20:00 one th allows thousands and thousands of people 20:03 to walk through the middle of that sesea on dry ground-- 20:05 and what a coincidence tha a strong wind happened 20:09 right as Israeael was fleeing Egypt. 20:13 There really isn't another planation. 20:15 The sea was very shallow a certain place? 20:18 No, that's absurd. 20:21 And what you've got here is a f fundamental issue. 20:24 The minute you start decidg that certain portions 20:26 of the Bible can'n't be believed, 20:28 you've setourself up as the judge of the Bible, 20:31 and you become the one who decidedes which parts of the Bible 20:34 are inspir and which are not. 20:37 You've chosen to play God. 20:40 Remember what Paul wrote to Timothy: 20:42 "All Scrture is given by inspiration of God." 20:45 Second Timothy 3:16. 20:47 Did Jesus tuturn water into wine, grape juice? 20:51 The Bible writers were convinced Hdid. 20:54 Now, you might think it psible, of course, 20:55 that thehe Bible writers were lying about all this. 20:58 Sure, it's possible,e, I guess, but thousands of people, 21:02 eventually millions of people, were prepared toto die 21:05 because they believed what wasas written 21:08 in the Gospel of Johohn, where that story is found. 21:11 Ha to imagine the Bible writers were lying. 21:15 So what about miracl today? 21:16 Leme give you a couple of firsthand accounts. 21:21 Early in 2017, our It Is s Written crew 21:24 was on the beautiful west coast of Ireld, 21:27 the fabled Cliffs of Mer. Stunning! 21:30 We were filming for r our "500" series about the Reformation. 21:34 We filmed my pararts, and then my two colleagues 21:37 got some aerial footage with a drone. 21:40 They flew the drone along the clcliffs and then nearly a mile 21:44 out to sea so they could get some spectacular f footage 21:47 of t the beautiful cliffs. 21:49 There e was a strong wind blowing, and as the dronflew 21:52 into this s wind, the guys noticed the battery 21:54 was draining fast. 21:56 It started plunging:0 percent, 58 percent, 31 percent, 22:02 and with this drone, whe the battery level drops 22:10 to five percent, it lands-- So at 500 et above the Atlantic whererever it is. 22:13 and still a third of a mile fromom land, 22:14 the battery level of the drone rehed five percent. 22:18 But they prayed, "Lo, bring the drone back. 22:21 "Bring back the footage we've shot. 22:23 "Bringack the equipment so we don't have to replace itt 22:25 and we don't los an afternoon's work." 22:28 The drone was atat five percent and kept flying. 22:32 Four, three,wo, one, zero! 22:36 No power left in the batattery, and the drone kept flying. 22:41 ItIt eventually got above land; they brought idown. 22:44 came in and landed gently on the grass. 22:47 The drone was s saved. 22:48 The footage wasn't l lost. The program was made. 22:52 No, th isn't someone being raised from the dead, 22:55 but it was divine intervention nonetheheless. 22:57 Thers no other explanation for it. 23:00 Whenen that drone arrived back, it was out of por. 23:06 A friend omine tells an incredible story 23:08 abouout his faithful mother. 23:10 Dad didn't want mother going to church with the k kids, 23:13 and he didn't like t them taking the car. 23:16 One ve, very wet day he decided that he would make suree 23:20 she couldn't go to church. 23:22 He removed the distributor cap from the car. 23:25 The vehicle can't runn without that distributor cap, 23:27 just imposble. 23:29 He w went off to work happy that she and the kid 23:31 wouldn't be going to church. 23:33 When he came back from work, 23:34 he was amazed that s was gone and that the car was gone, too. 23:40 He waited for her to return om church. 23:42 Dad said, "Where have you been?" 23:43 Mom said, "Church." 23:44 Dad, agitated: "How did youet there?" 23:47 Mom, confused: "I drove thcar, of course." 23:50 Dad, incredulous: "How did you drive the car to c church?" 23:53 Mom, bewildered:d: "The same way I always do." 23:56 She explned. They went and got in the car, turned the key;; 23:59 the cawould not start. 24:00 She said to ththe kids and the neighbor kids, 24:02 "Let's pray that God would start the car. 24:04 There must be a a problem." 24:05 Theyey prayed, she turned the key, and it roared tlife. 24:10 But dad d had the distributor cap in his pocket the enre time. 24:15 God still works micles. 24:17 n we believe the miracles of the Bible? 24:19 Of course we can. 24:20 Can we believe God works miracles tod? 24:23 Absolutely. 24:24 Does He alwa work miracles when we want Him to? 24:28 No, not always. 24:30 And He understands why, and we can trustim. 24:34 The greatest miracle of all is the miraclcle of divine grace. 24:39 Every person alive ia sinner, and the wages of sin is death. 24:44 But Jesus s died for your sins 24:46 and to work the miracle of salvatioin your life. 24:50 The Bibltells us again and again 24:52 th we cannot save ourselves. It's just not possible.. 24:55 But Jesus does for us 24:56 whatt is impossible for us to do for ourselves. 24:59 ♪[soft musi♪ 25:00 If sin is burdening you down, Jesus can save you. 25:04 If youeel like you're not worthy, Jesus can save you.. 25:07 If you're far from God right nonow, Jesus can save you. 25:12 Yes, that's a mirae, 25:14 maybe greater miracle than parting the Red Sea. 25:18 But this is the miracle that Jesus came to the earth 25:20 to perform. 25:22 Now, this miracle requires your permissioion; that's all. 25:26 Just a yes from you, a susurrender to God's will. 25:33 Can you makeke that decision? 25:34 If you've made it before, make it agn. 25:37 Tell God you accept salvation, 25:40 and the God who o saves you can uphold you, 25:43 just likHe holds up the sun, moon, and stars. 25:46 Miracles still happen. 25:49 That famous commentary from Lake Plid, 25:51 the broadcaster Al Michaels asked, 25:54 "Do you believe in miracs?" 25:57 And then he said, "Yes." 26:00 Now is your chance to say yes to a true miracle, 26:03 great miracle, the greatest of all miracles. 26:07 Say s to Jesus now, 26:10 and His peace and grace will flood your lilife. 26:14 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 26:16 >>John: Thank you fo remembering that It Is Written 26:18 exexists because of the kindness of people just le you. 26:21 To support this international li-changing ministry, 26:24 please call us now at 80253-3000. 26:29 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:30 to the address on your screen, 26:32 or you can visit us online at itiswrwritten.com. 26:35 Thank yofor your prayers and for your financial support.. 26:38 Our number again is 800-253-3-3000, 26:42 you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:47 >>John: Let's pray together now. 26:48 r Father in heaven, 26:49 we are grateful that Y are the God of miracles. 26:52 You u called this world into existence from out onothing. 26:55 You opened up the Red Sea, 26:57 carpeted theround with manna, 26:58 brought war out of a rock, 27:00 and today Yostill work miracles; we see them around us. 27:04 We have the opportunity every dayy 27:06 to expererience the miracle of grace. 27:07 We thank You that You cann still call something 27:10 out of the nothing of a broken life. 27:12 Heavenly Father, 27:13 we thank You for the g gift of salvation in Jesus. 27:16 And, fend, would you accept that gift now? 27:19 Would you say to the God of heaven, 27:20 "I believe in the miracle of salvationon. 27:24 "I believe in the miracle of gracece. You have my permission. Take my heart and m make it Yours." 27:29 Lord God, we make that decisision now 27:32 anand believe that we are children of the heavly King, 27:34 at eternity awaits us, and that You will grow us.s. 27:37 Keep us now, deaear Lord, we pray, and we thank You 27:40 for Your great miracacle-working power in our lives. 27:43 In Jesus' name, amen. 27:47 Thanks so much for joininge. 27:48 I'm lookg forward to seeing you again next time. 27:50 Until then, remember: 27:52 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alalone, 27:56 but by every word that proroceeds from the mouth of God.'" 28:25 ♪[dramatitheme music]♪ [music ends]♪♪ |
Revised 2021-10-20