Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001486A
01:30 ♪[Theme music]♪
01:40 ♪[Theme music]♪ 01:49 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 01:51 Thanks for joining me. 01:53 In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. 01:57 And what was it like back then? 01:58 Well, it was beautiful. 01:59 It was perfect. 02:02 And nobody was sick. 02:03 There were no doctors in the Garden of Eden. 02:06 There were no prescription drugs, 02:08 no medications of any kind. 02:10 There weren't any supplements. 02:11 They were not needed. 02:14 The undertakers, funeral parlors, 02:17 out of business. 02:18 No need. 02:19 Because when God created His first children, 02:21 Adam and Eve, no sickness at all. 02:24 Well, Isaiah wrote in the book of Isaiah 02:26 that we are going to a place where, he said, 02:28 “The inhabitant thereof shall not say, I am sick.” 02:32 And when we read in Third John, 02:34 the little book of Third John, verse 2, 02:38 we read these words: 02:39 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things 02:44 and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 02:48 That was John's wish for his readers; 02:50 it's God's wish for us today. 02:55 So what's the reality? 02:56 Illness everywhere you turn. 02:58 Healthcare problems, not solutions. 03:02 Healthcare costs blowing out budgets of entire nations. 03:06 People not sure what to do about diseases 03:09 they don't know how to fight. 03:11 Oh my goodness, that was not God's plan. 03:12 To discuss this with me is cardiologist Dr. James Marcum, 03:15 who practices here in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 03:17 Dr. Marcum, thanks for joining me. 03:19 >>Dr. James Marcum: My pleasure. 03:20 And unfortunately, my whole life, 03:22 the last 27 years in practicing cardiology and medicine, 03:25 I see people that are suffering with diseases of all sort. 03:30 >>John: So from a physician's point of view, 03:32 how bad is it? 03:33 >>Dr. Marcum: Oh, well, let's just look at things. 03:35 Over the last 20, 30 years, 03:37 the rates of heart disease keep going up. 03:41 The rates of diabetes keep going up. 03:43 In fact, it's been estimated in the United States, 03:46 by mid-century, 03:47 one in three people will have Type 2 diabetes. 03:50 >>John: One in three. 03:51 >>Dr. Marcum: Yeah, one in three. 03:53 The rates of being overweight go up. 03:55 The risk of joint problems go up. 03:58 Um, high blood pressure keeps going up. 04:01 Every year, more and more chronic diseases. 04:03 Cancer rates keep going up. 04:05 Mental health problems keep going up. 04:08 All of these chronic diseases keep increasing, 04:10 and you ask yourself, is modern medicine fixing these problems? 04:14 >>John: Now, this was not God's plan in the beginning. 04:16 God created perfect people with perfect health. 04:19 So over the last 6,000 years, something has gone wrong. 04:23 And you ask the question, 04:25 modern medicine, is it fixing? 04:28 You might even ask the question, 04:29 is in some ways, it harming? 04:31 Though I don't mean to sound subversive. 04:33 So here's what we know. 04:34 God created Adam and Eve. 04:35 Sin entered the picture. 04:36 From then to now, it's been down, down, 04:38 down in terms of our health. 04:40 There have been some upswings. 04:41 You go back a few years, people were shorter, 04:43 people weren't as healthy, people didn't live as long. 04:46 So there've been some improvements. 04:47 >>Dr. Marcum: Right. 04:48 >>John: So here's a question: with the improvements 04:50 that we've had, and I think they're observable in the last, 04:54 I don't know, 50 or 100 years or so, 04:58 why are things still as bad as they are? 05:01 When are the doctors and the scientists going to figure out 05:03 what the magic bullet is for heart disease 05:06 or diabetes or cancer or stroke? 05:09 >>Dr. Marcum: Yeah, well, the more I learn, 05:11 the less I know. 05:12 And our body is very, very complicated. 05:16 You know, we think of the trillion cells in our brain, 05:18 the quadrillion connections. 05:20 We know very little about the brain and how the brain 05:22 is affecting our whole body, 05:24 and how it turns on and off genes or genetics. 05:26 We know very little about the bowel, 05:28 the flora in our bowel, all sorts of bacteria. 05:31 There's more activity in our bowels 05:33 that affects our entire body, 05:34 including our cardiovascular health. 05:37 Then our immune systems, you know, 05:39 which fights off these bad boys; we're just now discovering all 05:42 things about our immune system that we never knew before. 05:45 So as time goes on, things get more complicated, 05:49 and yet we did make some major advances, 05:52 especially, you know, antibiotics, 05:54 blood transfusions. 05:55 So we have made some processes, but over the years we've got 05:58 into these chronic diseases, these lifestyle diseases, 06:02 the diseases that we put on ourselves that weren't made, 06:06 designed to have all these stressors on our body, 06:09 which has caused aging and mutations 06:12 and all sorts of bad things to happen. 06:13 >>John: Okay, so this question 06:14 is not meant to skewer the medical system. 06:17 You're a physician, a very, you're a well-educated physician 06:22 operating at a very high level. 06:23 So I don't mean to come after the medical profession. 06:26 But what in the world's going on? 06:27 This is, we're well into the 21st century now, 06:31 and it just seems like things are getting worse. 06:34 So, what, what are the successes, 06:38 the failings, and the limitations of modern medicine? 06:43 >>Dr. Marcum: Yeah. 06:44 Well, modern medicine is great at treating acute problems. 06:48 You know, if I'm having a heart attack, 06:50 I want to have a stent. 06:52 My heart's going slow; give me a pacemaker. 06:54 If I'm bleeding to death, stop the bleeding; 06:56 give me a blood transfusion. 06:58 So it's great at treating emergencies. 07:00 It's also improving at treating chronic genetic problems. 07:05 Let's say you were born with a gene that's bad. 07:08 Well, we're now studying the genes and we're finding ways 07:10 that we can do things to help the genes maybe not express 07:13 these things that would cause problems down the road. 07:16 So we're making some inroads to that. 07:19 But where we haven't made much inroads at all 07:22 is our lifestyles, 07:24 the things that we're doing that's changing our very genes, 07:28 that's accelerating aging, 07:30 that's causing all this chronic disease. 07:32 And unfortunately, we're looking more toward what we can do. 07:37 Here, let's have a pill. 07:38 Let's have a quick fix. 07:39 We're not looking toward the real answers 07:41 to this complicated system, and that's looking at a Creator. 07:45 And I tell people, John, 07:46 that when you're looking at modern medicine, 07:49 there's ditches that we fall in. 07:51 You know, there's the ditches of thinking 07:52 that modern medicine can fix everything. 07:54 >>John: Sure. 07:55 >>Dr. Marcum: There's another ditch on the other side 07:56 of the road that says lifestyle. 07:57 That's all we need is lifestyle. 07:59 >>John: And that modern medicine can't really fix anything. 08:01 >>Dr. Marcum: Right. 08:02 >>John: And that's not true. 08:02 >>Dr. Marcum: Right. 08:04 And the true path is us to understand that when we're sick, 08:07 which we all are genetically, 08:09 we need a Saviour that can rescue us 08:12 from this bad genetics that we've come on. 08:15 >>John: Now, let's get into this more after the break. 08:18 But before the break, let me ask you this: 08:20 So I think what you've identified 08:22 is that medicine is doing its best. 08:24 >>Dr. Marcum: Um-hmm. 08:25 >>John:: Medicine is doing its best, 08:26 and in some areas medicine is doing wonderfully, 08:29 wonderfully. 08:30 But medicine is up against something that 08:33 it seems it can't overcome, 08:35 and that's not so much disease, 08:36 but the lifestyle of the patient. 08:38 >>Dr. Marcum: Yes. 08:40 >>John: I mean, you can't give anything away, 08:41 I know, but you've seen patients that you know full well, 08:43 if only they did A, B and C real simple, 08:46 their lives would trend up, but they just won't do it. 08:48 >>Dr. Marcum: Right. 08:49 >>John: So lifestyle is a major component 08:52 of turning this disease thing around, correct? 08:54 >>Dr. Marcum: For chronic disease, yes. 08:56 >>John: For chronic disease. 08:57 >>Dr. Marcum: Diabetes; can reverse that. 08:59 Hypertension; can reverse that. 09:02 Conditions like sleep apnea, heart disease, 09:05 uh, joint problems, mental health. 09:07 These are all potentially lifestyle-related diseases 09:11 that can be turned around. 09:12 >>John: Now, before we go to the break, 09:14 uh, we're not pretending that lifestyle can fix 09:18 everyone in every situation, right? 09:20 >>Dr. Marcum: That's correct. 09:21 >>John: But what percentage of lifestyle-related illnesses 09:25 can lifestyle adjustment positively impact? 09:29 >>Dr. Marcum: Well, it's been estimated that 80 to 90 percent 09:32 of all disease now is chronic. 09:34 These diseases we cause by lifestyle; 09:37 80 to 90 percent. 09:38 So if we can get people to change that, 09:42 you know, to change their lifestyle, 09:43 then there's potential that 80 to 90 percent of chronic disease 09:47 could be reversed. 09:48 >>John: Now, wouldn't that be something? 09:50 Wouldn't that be something? 09:51 And if you're like me, you either suffer from or you know 09:54 people, lots of people, battling chronic disease. 09:57 God has a way out. 09:59 We'll share more with you about that in just a moment. 10:01 ♪[Music]♪ 10:12 >>John: If you'd like to know what the Bible says about 10:13 how to live the longest, healthiest life possible, 10:16 let me send you our free booklet, 10:19 “Living Life to the Fullest.” 10:20 All you need to do is call 800-253-3000, 10:25 and ask for your copy of “Living Life to the Fullest.” 10:28 If the line's busy, please do try again. 10:31 You can write to us at It Is Written, 10:33 P O Box 6, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 10:38 We'll mail a free copy to you in North America. 10:41 >>John: Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written, 10:44 and my special guest, Dr. James Marcum, 10:46 a cardiologist who, as well as practicing cardiology, 10:50 leads Heartwise Ministries. 10:52 We're looking to the solution to today's healthcare dilemma. 10:56 And it seems, it seems, that much of the solution, 11:00 we can't push this too far and say the entire solution, 11:04 much of the solution rests in the power of, 11:08 or the privilege of, choice. 11:11 Lifestyle choices. 11:13 Let's be practical about this. 11:14 Let's talk about some chronic conditions and what people 11:18 can do practically, accessibly, 11:20 what they can do to impact those things. 11:22 >>Dr. Marcum: Well, some of the chronic diseases, 11:24 if you could figure out what the chronic stressor is that's 11:26 causing the disease, eliminate that and you can do well. 11:30 For instance...diabetes. 11:32 We talked about how 1 in 3 might have Type 2 diabetes. 11:36 Diabetes is a disease of too much fat. 11:39 We have too much fat in our diet; 11:42 we have too much fat in our body. 11:44 Just removing fat in our body through exercise, 11:47 and removing fat by eating more vegetables 11:50 and fruits and nuts and grains, 11:51 just that in itself can reverse Type 2 diabetes. 11:55 >>John: Now, I'm going to suggest something to you. 11:57 >>Dr. Marcum: Yeah. 11:57 >>John: That's pretty easy. 11:59 Now, I know that some are going to say, 12:01 “Oh, I can't imagine living without my fatty food.” 12:06 Can you imagine dying? 12:08 What's the alternative here? 12:10 I can't...you've done harder things than that. 12:12 If it's the difference between life and death, 12:15 you can imagine it, all right. 12:16 Look, we're not asking anybody to go 12:17 and climb Mt. Everest without oxygen. 12:19 >>Dr. Marcum: Yeah. 12:20 >>John: So what you're saying is, 12:21 by simply changing what you eat, you can reverse, 12:23 you can, not always will, but you can in many cases 12:28 reverse diabetes, correct? 12:29 >>Dr. Marcum: That's for Type 2. 12:30 >>John: That's a simple fix. 12:31 >>Dr. Marcum: And yet, if you have diabetes for many years, 12:33 it damages the body. 12:35 It's a leading cause of blindness, 12:37 kidney disease, heart disease, neuropathies, 12:39 everything. 12:40 >>John: Yeah. 12:41 >>Dr. Marcum: And it's just those things. 12:42 Less fat in your body, by exercising. 12:44 Less fat in your diet by eating healthier foods. 12:47 >>John: I read where already we have 1 in 4 people are diabetic, 12:49 but there's a humongous amount of people are prediabetic. 12:52 >>Dr. Marcum: Yeah. 12:54 >>John: If we're coming up to 1 in 3 people are going to have 12:55 Type 2 diabetes in just a short amount of time, 12:57 think of the cost of that. 12:58 >>Dr. Marcum: Yes, yes. 12:59 They estimate it's about $15,000 a year 13:02 to take care of a Type 2 diabetic. 13:04 And it's not only in the States, 13:06 but we're seeing this around the world now. 13:08 >>John: As the western lifestyle encroaches. 13:10 >>Dr. Marcum: Exactly. 13:11 We're getting too much of this, and it's damaging us. 13:13 >>John: So let's be honest, then. 13:15 We're spending multiplied millions of dollars 13:17 on study after study after study after study, 13:19 and we know what the problem is. 13:20 It's your fork, right? 13:22 >>Dr. Marcum: Um-hmm. 13:24 >>John: It's hyperactive fork, hyperactivity with your fork. 13:27 Really. 13:27 Putting it simply. 13:29 >>John: So that's diabetes. 13:30 That's plain, 13:31 and by the way, by the way, 13:33 please, let me say this. 13:35 If you're battling Type 2 diabetes, 13:37 I'm not trying to get on you. 13:38 We don't want to be critical of you. 13:40 The doctor's simply saying that in many, 13:43 many cases it's what we put in 13:45 that causes this terrible outcome. 13:47 You mention, I'll let you go quicker on some of these. 13:49 Heart disease: what should, 13:51 what could a person do in many situations? 13:53 >>Dr. Marcum: Again, what is the number one stressor 13:55 that causes it? 13:56 Again, too much fat in the body, okay? 13:58 Too much fat gets in the arteries. 14:01 The arteries get clogged up. 14:02 It leads to heart attacks, all sorts of malfunctions. 14:05 Just eliminating, again, 14:07 fat in the body again is going to help improve that. 14:09 You know, you've heard of cholesterol; 14:11 that's a type of fat. 14:12 You get that out of the body, again, 14:14 we can actually reverse this. 14:16 I use greens and beans as a treatment for heart disease. 14:19 I get them on a whole food, plant-based diet, 14:22 get them on some exercise, 14:23 some positive thinking; they improve. 14:25 But a lot of people, John, don't even know about these things. 14:28 >>Dr. Marcum: Doctors aren't bringing these up. 14:30 They're not emphasizing it. 14:31 It's a secondary, here, 14:33 let me do a procedure or pill first, 14:34 and unfortunately, our culture is leaning away 14:37 from solutions and treating symptoms. 14:39 >>John: Sure, sure, you can take a pill, 14:40 but it doesn't get to the underlying cause. 14:42 But what about this, Dr. Marcum? 14:44 You'll find a study that's released that says 14:45 fat's not bad for you. 14:46 Fat is good for you. 14:48 Eat more fat. 14:49 It, it seems that the common-sensical, 14:52 good science says, lower the amount of bad fat. 14:56 Why do we see studies that say fat doesn't make you fat? 15:00 >>Dr. Marcum: Well, I always, when I look at a study, 15:01 I say, who is paying for the study? 15:03 >>John: Follow the money. 15:04 >>Dr. Marcum: Yeah, follow the money. 15:05 Is a drug company paying for it? 15:06 Is a hospital system? 15:07 Who is paying for the studies? 15:09 And I could find, if we had the funds, 15:12 much, many more studies that 15:13 show people without this do much better. 15:15 So it's, you can't believe everything you hear; 15:18 you have to know where the source of truth is. 15:21 And it's getting harder nowadays. 15:22 >>John: You mentioned hypertension. 15:23 Explain what hypertension is, and then talk about what 15:26 a person might be able to do for that. 15:27 >>Dr. Marcum: Hypertension is when the blood, 15:29 the blood pressure in the blood vessels go up. 15:31 And if it goes up long term, it's a long-term problem, 15:35 it stresses the blood vessels, it damages them, 15:37 predisposes them to things like aneurisms, 15:40 strokes, damage to your kidneys, damage to your eyes, 15:43 heart attacks. 15:43 High blood pressure is not good. 15:46 In some countries, we see no high blood pressure at all. 15:48 In the Amazons, we don't see this. 15:50 >>John: It's not there. 15:51 >>Dr. Marcum: In Africa, rural Africa, 15:53 they don't have hypertension. 15:54 This is another disease of western culture, 15:58 specifically, the food we eat, processed foods, 16:02 and the stress we're under, and lack of activity. 16:05 Those three things, we get rid of those, 16:07 most of the cases of hypertension would go away, 16:10 and also the downhill effects that we're going to get 16:13 if we go on hypertension year in and year out. 16:16 They call hypertension the “hidden killer.” 16:18 Some people don't even know they have it. 16:20 >>John: It's incredible, isn't it, how simple some of this is? 16:23 And, and a person may be wondering, 16:25 you know, so what? 16:26 You hear this: gotta die of something. 16:29 Gotta die of something. 16:31 Well, I'll tell you this: you don't have to die of everything. 16:34 And there are many things that need not be a threat 16:38 in your life, and as a result, your life is lengthened. 16:41 What does the Bible say? 16:43 We are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” 16:47 David wrote in the Psalms, in Psalm 139. 16:50 Let me ask you a question: why, then, 16:54 is this simple fix not being spoken of more? 16:57 >>Dr. Marcum: Well, if you look at the world we live in, 17:00 is our world designed to worship the true God, 17:04 or worship the false gods of this world? 17:06 There's a real battle going on out there: 17:08 battle for our health, battle for our minds. 17:11 And as we do this, you know, the culture says, 17:14 oh, you can do this, you can have this, 17:15 you can eat this way, you can move this direction, 17:18 and there'll be no consequences. 17:20 We have a fix, but do we really have a fix? 17:23 We're not looking at the true solution 17:26 to our healthcare dilemma. 17:28 The world is taking us away from the worship of God. 17:31 >>John: It's important to remember 17:32 that we are in a battle, is, there... 17:33 >>Dr. Marcum: Yes. 17:35 >>John: There's a real spiritual battle going on. 17:36 Let me read this to you. 17:37 This is 1 Corinthians, chapter 3 and verse 16, 17:41 and Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, 17:44 “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, 17:46 and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17:48 If anyone defiles the temple of God, 17:50 God will destroy him; for the temple of God is holy, 17:54 which temple you are.” 17:55 Our body was designed to be an inhabitation for God Himself. 18:00 And therefore it's important we keep it in good shape. 18:03 Healthy body, healthy mind. 18:04 The healthier we keep ourselves, the more able we are to receive 18:07 the Spirit of God and to hear the voice of God 18:10 and to connect with God. 18:12 We live in this world where the enemy has conspired 18:14 against good health by encouraging us to 18:17 destroy ourselves as rapidly as we possibly can. 18:19 Look around you; that's what you see taking place. 18:23 Now, in a moment, how about we discuss a case study. 18:25 You ready to do that? 18:26 >>Dr. Marcum: Yes. 18:27 You want to do that right now? 18:28 >>John: Well, we'll do that in just a moment. 18:29 There's a case study, a case study that we can look at and 18:31 say, when you connect your chronic condition to God, 18:36 God does great things. 18:38 We'll share that encouraging story with you in just a moment. 18:42 ♪[Music]♪ 18:51 ♪[Theme music]♪ 18:53 >>Announcer: In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, 18:56 “It is Written, 18:57 ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, 18:59 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” 19:03 “Every Word” is a one-minute, Bible-based daily devotional 19:06 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw, 19:08 and designed especially for busy people like you. 19:11 Look for Every Word on selected networks, 19:14 or watch it online every day on our website, 19:16 itiswritten.com. 19:19 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 19:21 Watch “Every Word.” You'll be glad you did. 19:26 ♪[Theme music]♪ 19:31 >>John: I think it's fascinating to study 19:33 the great characters of the Bible. 19:34 Sarah was considered such a great woman of faith 19:37 that she's listed in Hebrews 11, 19:38 the great faith chapter of the Bible. 19:40 Hebrews 11:11 says, 19:42 “By faith Sarah herself also received strength 19:44 to conceive seed, 19:45 and she bore a child when she was past the age, 19:47 because she judged Him faithful who had promised.” 19:50 So who was this Sarah? 19:51 Well, she lacked faith. 19:53 She recommended to her husband 19:54 that he father a child by another woman. 19:56 She was then cruel to the woman in question, 19:58 and Sarah lied, to God. 20:01 Which reminds us that God works with faulty people, 20:03 and He rehabs faulty people. 20:05 Mistakes and shortcomings 20:06 don't spell the end of the road for you. 20:08 God hangs in there with you, and His grace is powerful. 20:11 He didn't give up on Sarah, in spite of her weaknesses. 20:14 And the God who didn't give up on Sarah 20:16 is not about to give up on you. 20:18 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 20:20 Let's live today by every word. 20:22 ♪[Music]♪ 20:26 >>John: I'm John Bradshaw. This is It Is Written. 20:29 Thanks for joining me. 20:30 God's solution to the healthcare dilemma. 20:32 And we have a real healthcare crisis in the United States, 20:36 really, in all first-world countries around the planet. 20:40 Discussing this with me is cardiologist Dr. James Marcum. 20:43 Dr. Marcum, we said we would look at a case study here. 20:47 >>Dr. Marcum: Yeah. 20:48 A 50-something-year-old gentleman 20:50 that presented to the office. 20:51 Never been to the doctor before, didn't think he was much sick, 20:54 thought he was doing pretty well. 20:56 But at age 50, he was having lots of symptoms. 20:59 He was going to the bathroom seven, 21:01 eight times a night. 21:03 Energy level, down, down to almost zero. 21:07 Well, I tested him, and guess what? 21:09 He had diabetes. 21:10 >>John: Oh, really. 21:11 Didn't even know. 21:12 >>Dr. Marcum: Yeah, A1c was greater than 10. 21:14 Very much a diabetic. 21:16 And I said, “Listen, fellow, you're, you're diabetic.” 21:19 >>John: He did not know this. 21:20 >>Dr. Marcum: Did not know this. 21:22 I said, “All these problems are from diabetes.” 21:23 And he said, “Well, how can I be a diabetic?” 21:26 I said, “Well, you know, sometimes you have bad 21:29 genes that predispose you to disease. 21:31 And let's be honest; the pancreas makes insulin; 21:34 your pancreas isn't making much insulin, 21:36 and you're doing some lifestyle things 21:38 that could be hurting you.” 21:39 He didn't believe me. 21:41 >>John: Really. 21:42 >>Dr. Marcum: I said, “You continue this path, 21:43 it's going to age your genes, 21:44 you're going to have heart attacks, 21:46 you're going to get blind, 21:47 you're going to have problems with your kidneys. 21:48 You got to do something.” 21:50 And I said, “Listen, 21:51 would you prefer to go the medical route, 21:54 or would you prefer to go the lifestyle route?” 21:57 >>John: Okay, before you get to his answer, 21:59 explain what the medical route is. 22:02 >>Dr. Marcum: Yeah. 22:02 >>John: And follow that by telling me 22:03 what the lifestyle route is. 22:04 >>Dr. Marcum: Well, the medical route would be 22:05 to give you some medicines, 22:07 specifically start you on a drug called metformin or insulin. 22:11 >>John: Lots of people watching us right now... 22:12 >>Dr. Marcum: Yeah, lots of people take those. 22:13 >>John: ...say oh yeah, oh yeah, I'm using that. 22:15 >>Dr. Marcum: Now he had Type 2 diabetes. 22:16 But with that disease, not only had diabetes, 22:18 but he found out that he had sleep apnea, 22:20 because he had a little extra weight. 22:22 His blood pressure was high. 22:24 His cholesterol was high. 22:25 He was having uric acid in the body, 22:27 which causes gout. 22:29 He had five or six chronic diseases from this problem of, 22:32 of diabetes. 22:33 >>John: If I might say so, it sounds like this individual 22:37 was a walking time bomb. 22:39 >>Dr. Marcum: He was. 22:40 >>John: Really. 22:41 >>Dr. Marcum: I explained the cause of it. I said, 22:42 “Listen, if we can get fat out of the body, 22:43 fat out of your diet totally, 22:46 we might be able to reverse this rather quickly.” 22:49 And he says, “Oh, I can't do this.” 22:52 He says, “I'm used to eating chips.” 22:54 He was a chip-aholic. 22:56 He had lots of processed foods. 22:57 He didn't even realize what this processed food, 23:00 he ate pretty healthy, he thought. 23:02 Lots of processed foods. 23:03 So he says, “I can't do this.” 23:04 I said, “Well, you know, what you need to do is, 23:07 is look for the real power, 23:09 and that's a relationship with Christ.” 23:11 >>John: Right. 23:12 >>Dr. Marcum: Who will help you see truth 23:13 and give you the power to make changes. 23:15 And he says, “Well, this is a dire situation. 23:18 I don't want to take medicines 23:19 that don't fix the problems for this chronic disease. 23:21 I want a solution.” 23:23 So he got on his knees and said, 23:25 you know, he had a relationship with God. 23:26 It wasn't like he didn't know God. 23:28 He says, “Listen, God, I've identified a problem. 23:31 I need extra help. 23:32 I need power in my life. 23:33 >>John: Sure. Amen. 23:34 >>Dr. Marcum: So right away, 23:35 he started exercising an hour and a half a day. 23:38 Got on the treadmill 30 minutes in the morning 23:40 and an hour at night when he got back from work. 23:41 And he had a pretty demanding job. 23:43 But he says, “I'm going to make time to do this.” 23:45 He got rid of all processed foods. 23:47 >>John: Okay. 23:48 >>Dr. Marcum: All processed foods. 23:49 If it wasn't natural, he didn't eat it. 23:52 In three months, his A1c, high to non-diabetic range. 23:57 >>John: Fantastic. 23:58 >>Dr. Marcum: In three months he lost a total of 30 pounds. 24:00 >>John: In just three months? 24:01 >>Dr. Marcum: Three months. 24:02 Blood pressure, heart rate, triglycerides, 24:04 all the markers of chronic disease, 24:06 gout, all of that got better. 24:08 He did it through the power of God changing him. 24:11 The solution to his chronic dilemma was plug in that power, 24:14 and to see truth, and able to change one step at a time. 24:18 So he did well at three months. 24:20 He went back to his doctor just last month, 24:22 and still his A1c was in the fives. 24:25 Okay, six below is non-diabetic range. 24:27 All of the chronic disease: cholesterol had gone down, 24:30 blood pressure gone down, gouty numbers had gone down. 24:32 All the chronic disease had stayed well, 24:35 even at this point. 24:37 That patient was me, John Bradshaw. 24:40 That was me, and I had to enact those changes. 24:42 A doctor who supposedly was supposed to be healthy, 24:46 was not healthy. 24:47 He had chronic disease that he didn't even know about 24:50 ‘til it got so bad that it presented with a symptom. 24:53 There might be many out there that have chronic disease too. 24:56 They just don't know it until bad things start to happen. 24:59 >>John: Sure. 24:59 So it was the power of God 25:01 that made this amazing change in your life. 25:03 >>Dr. Marcum: Yes. 25:04 I asked God to help me do things that I never thought I could do. 25:07 I didn't think I could exercise an hour and a half every day, 25:10 with my schedule. 25:11 I didn't think I had the ability to give up all processed foods. 25:15 But it was through His power and that relationship 25:18 that I had with Him that I needed a little extra help. 25:21 You know, whenever someone has a trial or temptation, 25:23 then we use that and turn it into a ministry. 25:27 So I want to use this to help other people understand that, 25:31 yes, for chronic diseases, God is the place to start. 25:34 Understanding where the ditches are. 25:36 Plugging into that, helping you see truth, 25:38 and enact things one step at a time. 25:41 >>John: What if someone says, 25:42 “I just don't have an hour and a half.” 25:43 Start, just start, start with what you... 25:45 >>Dr. Marcum: Yeah, start somewhere. 25:46 Say, “God, what can you help me do?” 25:48 You know, five minutes, ten minutes, thirty minutes. 25:50 Ten thousand steps. 25:51 Get out of the room, walking every hour. 25:53 Find something to keep the parts moving, 25:55 so you can change your metabolism 25:57 to get fat out of your body. 25:58 So I changed, I lost 40 pounds. 26:02 >>John: Fantastic. 26:02 >>Dr. Marcum: In six months. 26:03 All the chronic disease markers went down. 26:06 And it wasn't me; it was the power of God. 26:08 So I'm claiming that this is going to be the solution 26:11 to our chronic healthcare dilemma. 26:14 >>John: Just like that. 26:15 The solution, the solution, the solution. 26:16 It's not legislation. 26:19 The solution is not another program. 26:21 The solution is not a new drug that we haven't discovered yet, 26:25 and God bless those who are helping us 26:27 in the medical and science fields. 26:29 The solution is Jesus. 26:31 >>Dr. Marcum: Yes. 26:32 >>John: And there's power in the Spirit of God 26:35 coming into your life. 26:37 You are fearfully and wonderfully made. 26:39 If you feel like you can't do it, 26:40 remember what Paul wrote to the Philippians: 26:42 “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. 26:45 My God shall supply all your need 26:47 according to His riches and glory, by Christ Jesus.” 26:50 If you can't get it done, that's okay. 26:54 God can do it in you. 26:56 The solution? 26:57 The solution is Jesus Himself. 27:00 ♪[Music]♪ 27:10 >>John: If you'd like to know what the Bible says about 27:12 how to live the longest, healthiest life possible, 27:15 let me send you our free booklet, 27:17 “Living Life to the Fullest.” 27:19 All you need to do is call 800-253-3000 27:24 and ask for your copy of “Living Life to the Fullest.” 27:27 If the line's busy, please do try again. 27:29 You can write to us at It Is Written, 27:32 P O Box 6, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 27:37 We'll mail a free copy to you in North America. 27:40 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 27:42 is a faith-based ministry, 27:45 and it's your support that makes it possible for us 27:47 to share God's good news with the entire world. 27:51 Your tax-deductible gift can be sent to the address 27:53 on your screen, or through our website, 27:56 itiswritten.com. 27:58 Thank you for your continued prayerful support. 28:01 Our toll-free number is 800-253-3000. 28:05 800-253-3000. 28:07 Our web address is itiswritten.com. 28:10 >>John: Dr. Marcum, thanks for joining me today. 28:12 This has been a blessing. 28:13 >>Dr. Marcum: My pleasure, John. 28:14 And, you know, it's not an easy story to tell, 28:17 you know, but it's important. 28:18 God's using this for ministry to help others. 28:20 >>John: A blessing. 28:21 Thanks, let's pray together now. 28:22 Let's pray. 28:23 Our Father in heaven, 28:24 we are thankful for what you can do in our life. 28:27 We're grateful to that for many of the pressing physical health 28:31 problems we face as a world, 28:34 many of those cases, 28:35 there are simple solutions. 28:37 Lord, I pray you'd guide us, 28:40 pray that you'd lead us to good health and not bad. 28:43 I pray that you'd lead us away from bad practices 28:45 to good practices. 28:47 I pray that we can see defeats turn into victories, 28:49 failures into success, 28:51 good health take the place of bad health. 28:53 Thank you that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. 28:56 And in all of this, 28:57 we're not merely looking for a longer life, 28:59 not merely looking for better health. 29:01 We are looking to honor You and glorify You 29:04 and give You more of us to possess and work through. 29:08 Thank you that You are the solution. 29:12 We are grateful. 29:13 We pray in Jesus' name, 29:16 Amen. 29:18 >>John: Thank you so much for joining me today. 29:19 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 29:21 Until then, remember: 29:23 "It is written: 29:24 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 29:26 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 29:31 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2018-01-23