Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001276
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00:03 [Music]
00:09 [People speaking in Hindi] 00:16 [Music] 01:08 It has stood the test of time, God's book, the Bible; 01:18 still relevant in today's complex world. 01:22 It Is Written, sharing hope around the globe. 01:39 [Traffic] I'm John Bradshaw 01:41 and this is It Is Written. 01:43 Thanks for joining me today. 01:44 Let me ask you a question. 01:47 How do you think you would feel if you lost your eyesight? 01:52 In the developed world, if you develop vision problems, 01:56 well, there is usually an eye doctor not too far away 02:00 and with modern eye care techniques being what they are, 02:03 you know that if you develop an everyday vision problem, 02:06 it's going to be easily corrected. 02:08 But what if you live in a part of the world where eye care 02:11 is not readily available. 02:13 If you were then to develop vision problems, you would find 02:16 that not only is an eye care professional hard to find, 02:19 but that the eye care might be impossible to afford. 02:24 The World Health Organization says there are 285 million 02:28 people in the world who are visually impaired. 02:31 Of those, 39 million are blind and of the world's 39 million 02:37 blind people, 15 million of them live in one country, 02:43 India. 02:47 The World Health Organization says that 80 percent of vision 02:51 impairment can be avoided or cured and the Times of India 02:55 has reported that 75 percent of India's 15 million 03:00 cases of blindness could have been avoided. 03:04 Now, let's think about that. 03:05 15 million is a really big number and of India's 15 million 03:10 blind, 11 and a quarter million really ought to be able to see. 03:14 Now, ask yourself: If you were blind unnecessarily, would you 03:20 not want something to be done about it? 03:22 Well, in India, something is being done. 03:25 Here in Punjab state, very close to India's border 03:30 with Pakistan, the very work that Jesus did 03:33 is being carried forward. 03:35 When Jesus was alive on this earth, he opened 03:38 the eyes of the blind and here in Northern India, 03:42 in fact, across India, thanks to the work 03:45 of a small team of dedicated medical professionals, 03:48 well, that same work is being done. 03:52 I have come to India to find out what they 03:54 are doing and to let you know how you can help, 03:57 how you can give sight to the blind. 03:59 The India of today is not the India of yesterday. 04:04 India is now an industrialized nation with a booming 04:08 tech industry. 04:09 More than 1.2 billion people make India the most populous 04:13 democracy in the world. 04:15 Depending on how you measure, the Indian economy is a global 04:19 force to be reckoned with. 04:22 But for all of that, there is still plenty 04:25 of poverty in India. 04:27 It is estimated that India is home to more than a third 04:30 of the world's poorest people and in 2010 the World Bank 04:36 reported that 68.7% of India's population live on less than $2 04:42 a day. 04:44 So for the country's 15 million blind people, life can be 04:49 a real hardship. 04:52 [Woman speaking in the Hind] 05:24 Despite the growing numbers of blind people in India, 05:27 there is a severe shortage of eye care professionals. 05:30 The country only has 20% of the optometrists it needs 05:34 and there is one ophthalmologist for every 100,000 people 05:38 in a rapidly growing population. 05:41 Now compare that to one ophthalmologist for every 13,000 05:46 in the United States. 05:48 So what has happened is that people who suffer 05:51 from vision problems often go untreated and something 05:55 as simple as cataracts become so bad that people end up 05:59 losing their sight. 06:01 Somewhere else and they would have had simple 06:05 cataract surgery. 06:06 Here, frequently, their vision deteriorates and blindness 06:11 is often the result. 06:13 So, how do you address a problem so vast? 06:17 One eye at a time. 06:22 Doctor Jacob Prabhakar is an ophthalmologist who 06:25 has devoted his life to providing eye care 06:28 to some of India's poorest people. 06:31 In the years since he and his team have been performing 06:33 the cataract operations, they have restored the sight 06:36 of thousands of God's children. 06:40 "Year after year, the requirement of operating 06:42 upon patients has been escalating. 06:45 As an ophthalmologist, I could not ignore this fact that 06:48 so many people are suffering blindness, which is treatable, 06:55 and I realize that the only way is to go in search of friends, 07:01 partners, philanthropists, donors who will come 07:08 forward to help this very humanitarian cause." 07:14 So how does all this happen? 07:17 Well that's where you come in. 07:19 It Is Written is partnering with a dedicated team 07:22 of medical professionals to provide life-changing eye 07:25 surgery to thousands of God's precious children. 07:29 And what is incredible is that each cataract surgery 07:33 performed costs only $75 ... 07:38 $75! 07:39 That's less than most people's monthly cell-phone plan. 07:43 $75 doesn't buy much but it does buy Eyes for India. 07:52 Here is how you can give the gift of sight. 07:57 In the United States, call 1.800.253.3000 08:01 and say you want to help Eyes for India. 08:05 That's 1.800.253.3000. 08:09 You can call right now or you can write to Eyes for India at 08:13 It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, California, 08:17 91359. 08:19 Or, give the gift of sight on-line at itiswritten.com. 08:24 Every $75 you give gives someone the gift of sight, 08:30 soone who desperately wants to see again. 08:34 How would it feel to be given the gift of sight? 08:38 We will find out in just a moment. 08:47 "I'm so thankful to the people who make this possible. 08:51 Without them, so many people would not see again but because 08:57 of them, they have the gift of sight. 09:02 [Woman speaking Hindi] 09:12 [Music] 09:20 In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, "It is written, 09:23 man shall not live by bread alone but by every word 09:27 that proceeds from the mouth of God. 09:29 Every Word is a one-minute Bible-based daily devotional 09:32 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed 09:35 especially for busy people like you. 09:38 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it on-line 09:41 everyday on our website, itiswritten.com. 09:45 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 09:48 Watch Every Word. 09:49 You'll be glad you did. 09:50 Here's a sample. 09:53 [Theme Music] 10:01 The Bible not only helps us to understand what we should 10:04 believe, but what kind of people we ought to be and how we 10:07 ought to treat others. 10:08 I think it's fair to say there's a lack of civility 10:11 in the world today, and people tell me is that we're living 10:14 in a "Me" generation. 10:16 Paul's counsel in Romans 12:10 has probably never been 10:20 more relevant. 10:21 "Be kindly affectionate to one another 10:23 with brotherly love, in honor giving preference 10:25 to one another." 10:26 Kindness - now THERE'S a thought. 10:28 And seeking honor for others rather than for ourselves. 10:31 God will give you opportunities to treat people well, 10:34 and to look for ways to lift up or bless others. 10:37 It's what Jesus did, and the more Jesus' people 10:41 do that, the more others will be convinced 10:43 that there's something good about faith in God. 10:48 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 10:50 Let's live today by Every Word. 10:56 [Sounds of people in the background, drums] 11:04 Thanks for joining me today. 11:05 You're joining me in Punjab state in Northern India 11:09 and the reason we are here and all across India, 11:11 It Is Written is working with a dedicated team 11:14 of Ophthalmologists to give the precious gift of sight 11:18 to many who are blind or visually impaired. 11:22 Right now we are at a Sikh temple complex where many 11:26 people are being screened to receive cataract surgery 11:30 that in many cases will give sight to the blind 11:34 and in every case will improve people's sight and their quality 11:39 of life dramatically. 11:45 Vision problems are a huge issue in India. 11:47 Of the world's 39 million blind people, more than 15 million 11:51 of them live here in India. 11:53 Poverty and the lack of access to eye care professionals mean 11:57 that vision problems that would be treated in other, 12:01 more developed countries, often go untreated here. 12:04 And the result is that people lose their eyesight. 12:12 [Man speaking in Hindi] 12:25 [Woman speaking in Hindi] 12:46 Here, anyone who can work, works. 12:49 There isn4t a welfare system providing support to those who 12:52 are unable to work. 12:53 Families caring for blind people do so in a place where 12:56 few resources are provided to help them. 12:58 Blindness presents challenges anywhere. 13:04 Here, those challenges are stark. 13:08 "When I go to these villages, I realize they are so poor. 13:13 Added to that poverty, they cannot see, 13:16 they cannot eat their food. 13:18 Sometimes, some of them are even unable to go 13:21 to the toilets or they are unable to do anything 13:24 by themselves." 13:27 But what if somebody could get their sight back? 13:31 What a gift that would be! 13:32 I'm sure you've received some impressive gifts 13:35 along the way during your life. 13:38 But have you ever received a gift as special 13:40 as the gift of sight. 13:42 And what would it be like to give the gift of sight? 13:44 Well, it is possible. 13:48 And it is happening right here in India. 13:51 Dr. Jacob and his team are working tirelessly 13:54 to restore the sight of thousands of people 13:57 every year. 14:01 JB: Dr. Jacob, tell me about this work. 14:03 Tell me the numbers of people you are seeing and how you are 14:07 seeing lives impacted? 14:08 JP: On a given day, our team screens about 1200 to 1500 14:12 patients. 14:14 Before, it was about 250 to 300 patients for cataract surgery. 14:19 As many as 465 surgeries on a given day. 14:24 This simple cataract surgery can make a tremendous impact 14:27 on the quality of life of the individuals 14:31 that we come in contact with. 14:32 It is like they get back their life all over again. 14:36 JB: When Deepo began losing her sight, even life's most basic 14:41 tasks were becoming unmanageable. 14:44 Living in extreme poverty with no family to provide 14:47 help and unable even to cook for herself, without the help 14:51 of Dr. Jacob and his team, Deepo's future was looking 14:55 very grim. 14:57 [Conversation in Hindi] 15:14 JP: Deepo is a widow. 15:16 She has nothing. 15:17 She has no income. 15:19 She lives in a little hut that can't offer her anything. 15:22 Now, all her life has changed. 15:25 She is able to lead a better life than what she 15:29 was suffering from before. 15:30 JB: Christianity is very much a minority religion in India. 15:40 The overwhelming majority of Indians are Hindus and there 15:43 is a considerable amount of Muslims. 15:46 There are some Buddhists, Jains and a lot of Sikhs. 15:51 In Punjab state, the majority of people are Sikhs. 15:56 I am in Amritsar in Punjab state at the site 16:00 of the Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple. 16:03 This is Sikhism's holiest shrine. 16:06 When one comes here, one's head must be covered, which explains 16:10 the head covering. 16:11 So in a place like India, how does one successfully 16:16 demonstrate the love of God? 16:20 Jesus himself wrestled with this very question. 16:23 How to demonstrate to others, to prejudiced people, 16:27 the love of the Creator God. 16:29 Here is what we find in Matthew, 9:27-31, 16:34 "When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed him, 16:38 crying out and saying 'Son of David, have mercy 16:42 on us.' And when he had come into the house, the blind men 16:46 came to him. 16:48 And Jesus said to them, 'Do you believe 16:50 that I am able to do this?' They said to him 'Yes, Lord.' 16:55 Then he touched their eyes saying, 'according to your 16:58 faith, let it be done to you and their eyes were open.' 17:02 And Jesus sternly warned them saying, 17:05 'see that no one knows it.' But when they had departed, 17:08 they spread the news about him in all that country." 17:12 They received the gift of sight and they couldn't keep quiet 17:16 about it. 17:17 They knew that they had been touched by the hand of God, 17:20 by the hand of a God of love and people here are experiencing 17:25 the very same thing. 17:27 We see this again in the Bible, in Mark 10. 17:30 "Now they came to Jericho. 17:32 As he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great 17:34 multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by 17:39 the road begging. 17:40 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, 17:42 he began to cry out and say "Jesus, Son of David, 17:46 have mercy on me." 17:48 Then many warned him to be quiet but he cried out 17:51 all the more. 17:52 "Son of David, have mercy on me." 17:55 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called, 17:59 then they called the blind man saying to him: Be of good cheer, 18:03 rise, he is calling you and throwing aside his garment, 18:08 he rose and came to Jesus. 18:10 So Jesus answered and said to him. 18:12 "What do you want me to do for you? 18:14 The blind man said to him: "Rabboni, that I may 18:17 receive my sight." 18:19 Then Jesus said to him "Go your way. 18:22 Your faith has made you well." 18:24 And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus 18:29 on the road. 18:35 Every $75 you give provides eyesight to an individual who 18:39 desperately wants to see. 18:42 But you do more than give the gift of physical sight. 18:44 What you give is the opportunity for somebody to see and know 18:50 and experience the love of God through the healing touch 18:54 of Jesus. 18:56 $75 - That's all it takes - to give eyesight to one person. 18:59 $750 and you have helped 10 people to see again. 19:03 To give Eyes for India, call right now. 19:08 In the United States, call 1.800.253.3000 19:14 and say you want to help Eyes for India. 19:17 That's 1.800.253.3000. 19:22 You can call right now, or you can write to Eyes for India at 19:26 It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, California, 19:30 91359. 19:33 Or, give the gift of sight online at itiswritten.com. 19:43 [soft Music] 20:00 I'm so thankful to the people who make this possible. 20:02 Without them, so many would not see again. 20:09 But because of them, they have the gift of sight. 20:14 [Woman speaking Hindi] 20:31 It Is Written is dedicated to sharing the gospel 20:33 around the world. 20:34 To discover more about It Is Written, I invite you 20:37 to visit our website, itiswritten.com 20:39 and browse the dozens of pages that describe what we do 20:43 and how we do it. 20:44 Let's get to know each other better. 20:46 Visit our website itiswritten.com, today. 20:51 [Music] For the 15 million blind people 20:57 currently living in India, life can be an extreme hardship. 21:02 In a country with no welfare system or government support, 21:05 blindness can be an almost insurmountable challenge. 21:10 Thankfully, for many, blindness is a condition that is not only 21:14 treatable but entirely curable. 21:19 [Woman speaking Hindi] 21:34 [Man speaking Hindi] 21:44 Throughout India, more and more people who have lost their sight 21:47 are seeing again. 21:50 And It is Written's sponsored medical team is performing 21:52 cataract surgery on people who are in desperate need 21:56 of medical help and lives are being changed. 22:01 [Man speaking Hindi] 22:30 But with the problem as widespread as this 22:32 and with the extreme poverty in which so many people live, 22:35 how could Dr. Jacob and his team ensure their work reached 22:38 as many people as possible? 22:41 I realize that if only they can be picked up, operated upon, 22:46 and given the gift of sight, they have the world all over 22:51 again in their lives. 22:53 So It Is Written, with the help of generous people like you, 22:56 has provided a bus. 22:58 This allows the medical team to travel to remote locations 23:02 to meet with patients and means people can be brought 23:05 to the site of the surgeries. 23:07 And it also means that 300 or more people a day 23:13 can receive this life-changing cataract surgery and through 23:16 the work of Dr. Jacob and his team, the love of Jesus 23:20 is spreading far and wide. 23:22 We come in contact with many, many blind people, but one man 23:28 we came in contact was a Christian. 23:33 After having received the gift of sight, he went and shared 23:37 with many people the love of Jesus, that Jesus lives 23:42 and loves everybody. 23:45 [Man speaking in Hindi] 24:05 The gift of sight changes lives and changes hearts as people 24:10 see and understand the love of Jesus, the great physician. 24:14 Doctor, the work you are doing is the very work Jesus did. 24:18 Jesus is the one who opened the eyes of the blind. 24:21 Now, you are a Christian physician in a country in which 24:24 less than 3% of the population is Christian. 24:29 So how is what you are doing helping people to see the love 24:31 of God? 24:33 Most of the people whom we come in contact with, they have no 24:36 concept of God. 24:39 And one of the ways of sharing the love of God is to go 24:42 and touch their lives and tell them that God 24:45 helps them in restoring their sight. 24:49 From the people who have received the gift of sight, 24:52 the most important thing that they found is that 24:54 there is a God who loves them. 25:02 Jesus gave the gift of sight and when he did, 25:05 people were convinced that he was the Messiah. 25:09 By giving the precious gift of sight, you can demonstrate 25:12 the love of God in a life-altering way. 25:16 Opening the eyes of the blind is the very work Jesus did 25:19 and you can join in that work, Jesus' work, right now. 25:23 In the United States call 1.800.253.3000 and say 25:31 you want to help Eyes for India. 25:34 That's 1.800.253.3000. 25:38 You can call right now or you can write to Eyes for India 25:41 at It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, California 91359. 25:48 Or, give the gift of sight on-line at itiswritten.com. 25:53 Every $75 you give gives someone the gift of sight, 25:59 someone who desperately wants to see again. 26:18 I am so thankful to the people who make this possible. 26:21 Without them, so many people would not see again 26:27 but because of them, they have the gift of sight. 26:32 [Woman speaking Hindi] 26:43 [Music in background] Thank you for giving 26:51 the precious gift of sight. 26:52 Thank you for providing eyes for India. 26:56 Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 25:40. 26:59 He said, "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least 27:03 of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me. 27:07 Let's pray: Our Father in heaven, thank you 27:10 for the precious gift of sight. 27:12 Bless Eyes for India that the eyes of many will 27:16 be open, that eyesight will continue to be restored. 27:20 And I pray that you give the most precious gift of all 27:23 - the opportunity for people to see Jesus. 27:27 I thank you and I pray in Jesus' name, Amen. 27:31 [Music] 27:48 Thanks for joining me today. 27:50 I look forward to seeing you next time. 27:52 Until then, remember. 27:54 It is written, man shall not live by bread alone 27:57 but by every word that proceeds 28:00 from the mouth of God. |
Revised 2015-02-06