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A New Earth - The Book of Revelation · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And I saw a new heaven and
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  Speaker 1: a new earth, for the first heaven and the first
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  Speaker 1: earth were passed away. Revelation 21.1 When I ponder and
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  Speaker 1: listen to today's reading, I thank you, Lord, that you
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  Speaker 1: invoke newness. Through John's account, my heart is overwhelmed with
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  Speaker 1: the glorious new world you've appointed for us as your children.
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  Speaker 1: a new world filled with peace, joy, love, abundance, and
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  Speaker 1: your never-ending grace. As I reflect on the journey that
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  Speaker 1: my life has taken, I will rest on the fact
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  Speaker 1: that from Genesis to Revelation, you've proved the ultimate love
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  Speaker 1: story of a father who desires to win the hearts
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  Speaker 1: of his children back, no matter how far they've gone,
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  Speaker 1: or mad they've become. I now see, God, that your
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  Speaker 1: love is a perfect love. I now see that the
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  Speaker 1: life of Jesus isn't only beneficial to my purpose, but
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  Speaker 1: necessary for me to even live my purpose. I declare
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  Speaker 1: that no matter what I hear, my life will be
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  Speaker 1: dedicated to honoring and serving you forever, until I see
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  Speaker 1: you face to face. Thank you for your perfect love.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you that I am brand new, that I have
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  Speaker 1: been redeemed with the ultimate price, your son. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for
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  Speaker 1: an incredible Bible story brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: A New Earth In our last story, John saw a
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  Speaker 2: vision of past, present, and future evil reigning on the earth.
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  Speaker 2: He saw mighty dragons and great beasts devouring the earth
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  Speaker 2: and corrupting mankind. Then John saw a hero emerge from
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  Speaker 2: the gates of heaven. The finisher and Messiah, Jesus Christ,
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  Speaker 2: descended on a white horse with a robe dipped in blood.
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  Speaker 2: He defeated the beasts and cast the armies of darkness
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  Speaker 2: into the earth. into destruction. Now we see Jesus giving
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  Speaker 2: way to a new heaven and earth, a place with
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  Speaker 2: no more mourning or suffering, a place where the perfect
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  Speaker 2: will of God unites with the willing hearts of mankind,
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  Speaker 2: inspired by the book of Revelation.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, this is Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of
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  Speaker 3: the Bible in a Year. This is in fact the
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  Speaker 3: last episode in this series, and we're so grateful for
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  Speaker 3: so many who have joined us Over 27 million who
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  Speaker 3: have downloaded the Bible in a year, Pray.com. God bless you,
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  Speaker 3: each one of you. In our previous episode, we heard
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  Speaker 3: about the war to end all wars, the great battle
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  Speaker 3: between Satan and his army and God's army, led by
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  Speaker 3: the Lord Jesus Christ. It was a vision full of
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  Speaker 3: symbolism and one that ultimately gives us great hope that
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  Speaker 3: one day, and we believe one day soon, Christ will
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  Speaker 3: come in victory to conquer evil for good. So as
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  Speaker 3: today we come to the conclusion of our journey through
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  Speaker 3: God's Word, we will hear what John saw when God
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  Speaker 3: revealed things to come as the world passes away and
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  Speaker 3: everything is made brand new. So let's listen now to
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  Speaker 3: this great reading from the book of Revelation.
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  Speaker 2: Then I saw the earth fade away, its cities, kingdoms,
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  Speaker 2: and armies dissolved like snow under the bright warmth of God.
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  Speaker 2: The conquests of man blew away like ashes in the wind,
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  Speaker 2: and its evils along with it. The sea was no more,
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  Speaker 2: and in its place I saw a holy city come
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  Speaker 2: in glory. I saw the perfect will of God meet
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  Speaker 2: the earth like a dance. From the ruins of the
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  Speaker 2: kingdom of man emerged a new Jerusalem. The city was beautiful,
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  Speaker 2: and its people were adorned like a bride prepared for
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  Speaker 2: its groom. I heard a gentle yet strong voice call out, saying,
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  Speaker 2: This is the dwelling place of God and man. Here
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  Speaker 2: they will exist together in unity. They will be his people,
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  Speaker 2: and he will be their God. He will wipe away
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  Speaker 2: every tear from their eyes, and the sting of death
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  Speaker 2: will be no more. There will be no more mourning
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  Speaker 2: or pain. for all the former things interweaved with darkness
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  Speaker 2: have passed away, and all that remains is the light
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  Speaker 2: of Christ. Then I saw him, the hero, the one
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  Speaker 2: who created the galaxies with a breath, the giver of life,
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  Speaker 2: the shepherd of the flock, the son of man. He
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  Speaker 2: sat upon his throne with gentleness and grace. He spread
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  Speaker 2: his arms to his people and said, Behold, I am
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  Speaker 2: making all things new. I fell to my knees and
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  Speaker 2: watched him in awe. All who were with me bowed
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  Speaker 2: before him. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning
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  Speaker 2: and end, he said. All who are thirsty and all
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  Speaker 2: who are weak come to the fountain of living water.
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  Speaker 2: An angel stood behind me as I watched. He held
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  Speaker 2: my hand and said, Come, I will show you the
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  Speaker 2: bride of the Lamb, the one who is redeemed. So
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  Speaker 2: I was taken up again to see the new city.
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  Speaker 2: Its radiance was like a rare jewel. It had a
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  Speaker 2: great and mighty wall with twelve gates, and the names
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  Speaker 2: of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles
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  Speaker 2: of Christ were inscribed on its walls and gates. Its
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  Speaker 2: streets were like gold and fine jewels, and its gates
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  Speaker 2: were as pure as pearls. There was no temple, for
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  Speaker 2: the glory of God was among the peoples. There was
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  Speaker 2: no need for the sun or moon, since the glory
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  Speaker 2: of God gave it light. I saw a society with
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  Speaker 2: people giving honor to God and basking in the light
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  Speaker 2: of his goodness. The angel then showed me a river
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  Speaker 2: of living water. It was flowing from the throne of God.
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  Speaker 2: On one side of the river was a great city,
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  Speaker 2: and on the other was the tree of life. Its
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  Speaker 2: leaves gave healing, and its fruit fed the nations. The
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  Speaker 2: people of God met him face to face. They dwelled
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  Speaker 2: with him and reigned with him, creating good things for
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  Speaker 2: his glory. And with that, I heard the voice of
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  Speaker 2: Jesus saying to all who are on the earth, Come
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  Speaker 2: to me, all you who thirst. Behold, I am coming soon.
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  Speaker 2: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and
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  Speaker 2: the last, the beginning and the end. Thus ends the
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  Speaker 2: great story of God given to mankind. It is not
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  Speaker 2: a story of man ascending to perfection or enlightenment. It
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  Speaker 2: is not a story of good people doing good things.
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  Speaker 2: Nor is it a story to teach moral behavior. No,
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  Speaker 2: it is the story of a loving God who pursues
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  Speaker 2: a broken and far-off people. It is a story of
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  Speaker 2: a loving husband that courts his bride. It is a
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  Speaker 2: story of a shepherd who goes after his lost sheep.
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  Speaker 2: The story of God brings hope to all who feel lost, lonely,
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  Speaker 2: and trapped in their sin. It points to a loving
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  Speaker 2: and merciful Savior who will lay down His life to
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  Speaker 2: save those He loves. The Bible is the story of Jesus.
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  Speaker 3: So here we are at the end, or should I
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  Speaker 3: say the beginning of what will never end, eternity. As
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  Speaker 3: we open today's reading, John tells us about his vision
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  Speaker 3: of a new earth, a new heavens and a new earth.
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  Speaker 3: The world as we know it fades away and something
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  Speaker 3: brand new, a new heavens and a new earth is born.
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  Speaker 3: The sun is God's glory finally dwelling with mankind again
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  Speaker 3: just as he wanted it when he first spoke light
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  Speaker 3: and life into the world at creation. There is a
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  Speaker 3: beautiful symmetry and strategy in the Bible. The first two
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  Speaker 3: chapters of Genesis speak of the creation of the heavens
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  Speaker 3: and the earth at the very beginning of time as
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  Speaker 3: we know it. Now, here in the final two chapters
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  Speaker 3: of the Revelation, it begins a new restoration of a
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  Speaker 3: perfect creation, which is forever. The old, the sick, the
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  Speaker 3: dying and hurting world has passed on. Heaven now comes
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  Speaker 3: to earth, and there is a new Jerusalem, God's holy city.
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  Speaker 3: The city John saw was beautiful and ornate. Words fail
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  Speaker 3: to do it justice, but this is God's Word, and
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  Speaker 3: so we have this magnificent portrait of what the afterlife
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  Speaker 3: is going to be. All that was broken has been restored,
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  Speaker 3: and those who are in Christ will dwell in God's
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  Speaker 3: presence throughout all eternity. There will be no need for
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  Speaker 3: a son that is a physical son because Jesus Christ
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  Speaker 3: will be the light of eternity. Every tear will be
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  Speaker 3: wiped away. And all that overwhelms us now will be
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  Speaker 3: swept away with joy and satisfaction in God's presence and
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  Speaker 3: his great glory among us. When Christ came the first time,
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  Speaker 3: he gave humanity glimpses of what the future would look like,
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  Speaker 3: the kingdom of God, the day that he would wipe
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  Speaker 3: away all of our tears and restore the broken and
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  Speaker 3: heal the sick. He did that temporarily in his first coming,
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  Speaker 3: but he does it permanently when he comes again and
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  Speaker 3: establishes the new heavens and the new earth. When Jesus
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  Speaker 3: spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, he told
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  Speaker 3: her of the living water he had to offer. Now
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  Speaker 3: in this new earth, this new heaven, John saw the
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  Speaker 3: fountain of living water, the very thing Jesus spoke about.
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  Speaker 3: And through the city runs a river of living water
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  Speaker 3: that flows from the very throne of God. This is
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  Speaker 3: a reminder that God is and always has been the
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  Speaker 3: giver of all of life and goodness and satisfaction. The
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  Speaker 3: people whose names are written in the book of life
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  Speaker 3: will live in this city. They will find complete rest
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  Speaker 3: and restoration. John heard Jesus speaking to him once more,
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  Speaker 3: saying in Revelation 22, verses 6 and 7, These words
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  Speaker 3: are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of
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  Speaker 3: the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to
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  Speaker 3: show his servants what must soon take place. And behold,
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  Speaker 3: I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps
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  Speaker 3: the word of the prophecy of this book. As we
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  Speaker 3: await the return of Jesus in glory to bring us
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  Speaker 3: to our eternal home, where there will be no sorrow
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  Speaker 3: and sickness or strife, where we will dwell in the
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  Speaker 3: presence of God forever, may we take these words to heart.
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  Speaker 3: Jesus is our Savior, our Redeemer, our Lord and Master,
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  Speaker 3: the one who was there from the very beginning and
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  Speaker 3: will be with us at the end and throughout all eternity.
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  Speaker 3: He is the one and the only one that gives
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  Speaker 3: us eternal life. If you have listened to this podcast
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  Speaker 3: from beginning to end, start to finish, And have yet
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  Speaker 3: to believe and trust in Jesus as your Savior, I
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  Speaker 3: want to encourage you to do that right now. Jesus
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  Speaker 3: loves you. God has a wonderful plan for your life.
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  Speaker 3: And sin had broken our relationship with God. And so
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  Speaker 3: Jesus came to this earth, perfect in his humanity, perfect
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  Speaker 3: in his deity. He died on the cross to pay
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  Speaker 3: the penalty for our sins and rose again so that
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  Speaker 3: we could have forgiveness and forever life. Life with him.
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  Speaker 3: Life with a capital L. Call upon his name today.
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  Speaker 3: Here's what the apostle Paul said in Romans 10 verses
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  Speaker 3: 9 and 10. If we confess with our mouths the
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  Speaker 3: Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God has
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  Speaker 3: raised him from the dead, we will be saved. Whoever
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  Speaker 3: calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
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  Speaker 3: Whoever means you, you can trust him today. In the
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  Speaker 3: book of Revelation that we have been reading recently, Jesus
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  Speaker 3: stands at the door and knocks and Revelation 3.20, and
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  Speaker 3: he says, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
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  Speaker 3: I will come in. So right now where you are,
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  Speaker 3: invite Jesus into your life, and I promise you he
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  Speaker 3: will come in. He will give you an abundant life,
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  Speaker 3: an eternal life, the forgiveness of your sins, and a
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  Speaker 3: fulfilling life here and now. He will write your name
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  Speaker 3: in the Lamb's book of life, and you can be
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  Speaker 3: secure and safe forever with him. If you are already
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  Speaker 3: a believer in Christ, I hope today's episode, as all
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  Speaker 3: the episodes in the Bible in a year, have encouraged you.
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  Speaker 3: What a wonderful hope we have in Jesus. But I
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  Speaker 3: also would encourage you to share this hope with others.
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  Speaker 3: Tell them of what Christ can do in their lives
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  Speaker 3: just as he has changed your heart. Jesus has charged us,
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  Speaker 3: commissioned us to make disciples of all the nations, beginning
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  Speaker 3: with our neighbors, and telling the story of Jesus wherever
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  Speaker 3: we go. It's the wonderful story of God's love and
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  Speaker 3: grace through Jesus our Lord. Let's pray together. Dear God,
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  Speaker 3: we thank you for this promise of heaven and the
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  Speaker 3: hope of eternal life that is provided for us in
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  Speaker 3: Jesus Christ. We thank you for the Bible, dear God,
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  Speaker 3: this wonderful word that you have inspired from beginning to
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  Speaker 3: end and everything in between. We praise you for a
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  Speaker 3: word that is infallible and inerrant. May we always trust
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  Speaker 3: your word and obey it. And Lord, may we be
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  Speaker 3: witnesses of the gospel wherever we go. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 3: Once again, I want to thank you for listening to
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  Speaker 3: the Bible in a Year podcast. Many of you have
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  Speaker 3: been with us a good while, and I'm so grateful
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  Speaker 3: for the opportunity to speak God's word into your life
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  Speaker 3: in these days. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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  Speaker 3: Let me encourage you to continue to follow along the
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  Speaker 3: scriptures with us. You can repeat the Bible in a year,
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  Speaker 3: and I certainly would encourage you to invite others to
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  Speaker 3: join you in this journey as we walk through the Bible.
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  Speaker 3: You can help ensure that more and more people hear
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  Speaker 3: these life-changing scriptures by giving a gift today. If you
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  Speaker 3: would like to keep these gospel-centered, Christ-centered messages going around
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  Speaker 3: the world, reaching people everywhere, please give at www.bibleinayear.com. And
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  Speaker 3: if you want more resources as to how you can
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  Speaker 3: live the Christian life, then you can find these through
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  Speaker 3: my sermons and books and devotionals that you can find
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  Speaker 3: at jackgraham.org. That's J-A-C-K-G-R-A-H-A-M.org. Once again, thank you for allowing
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  Speaker 3: me to share with you through the podcast The story
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  Speaker 3: of Jesus, who is the light and hope of the world. Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: our Lord and Savior. The Bible is all about him.
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  Speaker 3: Preaching the gospel of Christ, teaching God's word has been
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  Speaker 3: my life's calling throughout my days. And I'm so very
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  Speaker 3: grateful for this opportunity that we have had to share
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  Speaker 3: the Bible in a year. God bless you. And may
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  Speaker 3: God bless his word through your life. In Jesus' name, amen.