Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW023274S
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00:16 ♪[music ends]♪♪
00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is "It Is Written." 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:23 If it's anything at all, the Bible is a missionary book. 00:27 Most Bibles have a section in the back 00:29 showing Paul's missionary journeys. 00:31 The first, Paul and Barnabas left Antioch, went to Cyprus, 00:35 then Asia Minor, what today we call Turkey. 00:39 On his second missionary journey, Paul traveled 00:41 from Antioch, which is in southern Turkey 00:44 near the border with Syria, 00:46 sailed across the northeastern Aegean to Greece, 00:48 then went to Philippi and Berea, down to Athens, 00:51 over to Corinth, then back across the sea to Ephesus 00:54 before crossing the Mediterranean to Israel, 00:57 then back to Antioch. 00:59 His third missionary journey covered similar ground. 01:03 But, of course, Paul was a missionary. 01:05 Shortly after his Damascus road experience, 01:07 God spoke to Ananias about Paul and said, 01:10 "He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name 01:13 before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel." 01:18 God placed His hand upon Paul 01:20 for the purpose of him being a missionary. 01:22 But isn't that the way? 01:24 The question isn't, "Does God call people to mission service?" 01:27 We know the answer to that already. Yes, He does. 01:30 The question is, "How do I make that real in my life?" 01:35 The woman at the well, she encountered Jesus 01:37 and immediately went into the city 01:39 and told people about Jesus. 01:41 She was so focused on telling others 01:43 that she left her water pot behind. 01:46 The demon-possessed man in Decapolis, 01:47 who was delivered by Jesus, 01:49 asked Jesus if he could follow Jesus. 01:52 But Jesus sent him to his home to tell others 01:55 what God had done for him. 01:57 And the man did that work, with the Bible saying 01:59 at the conclusion of that story in Luke's gospel, 02:02 "And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, 02:06 "the people gladly received Him: 02:08 for they were all waiting for Him." 02:10 Converted, and a missionary right away. 02:14 The disciples-- missionary workers-- 02:16 it's believed Thomas, "doubting Thomas," 02:18 was the first missionary to India. 02:21 There have been some famous missionaries down through time. 02:23 David Livingstone from Scotland, 02:25 the missionary to Africa and an abolitionist, 02:28 whose work was so impactful he became a national hero 02:32 back in Britain and was buried in Westminster Abbey. 02:36 Can you imagine a missionary 02:37 being buried in Westminster Abbey today? 02:39 William Carey, considered the father of modern missions, 02:43 he founded the Baptist Missionary Society 02:45 and was a missionary to India. 02:47 Adoniram Judson, an American, who spent 40 years in Burma; 02:51 Hudson Taylor, who spent more than 50 years in China; 02:55 Eric Liddell, the rugby-playing, 02:57 Olympic gold-medal- winning Scotsman, 03:00 who was portrayed in the award-winning movie 03:02 "Chariots of Fire," he was a missionary to China. 03:05 John Paton, another Scotsman, 03:07 was a missionary to what was then the New Hebrides. 03:11 Before going he was warned that cannibals might eat him. 03:15 His response? 03:16 "It [doesn't matter] to me [if my body is] eaten...by worms" 03:20 or "by cannibals." 03:21 He didn't die, but his wife and newborn son did, 03:24 less than a year after they arrived. 03:26 And life was difficult for missionaries back in that day-- 03:29 before creature comforts and before telephones, 03:31 before the internet. 03:33 Illness was a huge challenge, and so was isolation. 03:37 If you were to read the account of Paton's father 03:39 farewelling his son, ooh, it's heartrending. 03:43 At It Is Written we are committed to missions. 03:47 Some years ago I took a team of physicians and others with me 03:50 to a foreign country, and It Is Written Missions was born. 03:54 Since then we've been to numerous countries, 03:56 as well as locations within the United States, 03:59 for the purpose of investing in people's lives 04:01 and sharing the love of God and the message of the Bible. 04:05 Joining me is Wes Peppers, 04:07 who coordinates It Is Written Missions. 04:10 So, Wes, why missions? Why should we do it? 04:14 >>Wes Peppers: Well, firstly, the Bible says to do missions. 04:16 Jesus said, "Go [into all the world] 04:18 and make disciples of all nations." 04:19 And so, that's one reason we do it, 04:21 'cause it's a biblical mandate and Jesus commanded it. 04:24 But really, the second reason 04:25 is because it changes lives. >>John: Whose lives? 04:28 >>Wes: It changes everybody's life. 04:29 You know, a lot of times people think when they go 04:31 on a mission trip, "Well, I'm gonna go down there. 04:33 "We're gonna go as a group, 04:34 and we're gonna impact all these people." 04:36 But really, the lives of the people who do the mission trip 04:39 are transformed as well. >>John: What have you seen? 04:41 You've led numerous mission trips. 04:43 You don't lead all of the It Is Written Missions trips, 04:45 and neither of us go on all of them; 04:46 we just go on one or two here and there. 04:49 Um, but in the many mission trips that you've been part of 04:52 and that you've led, what kind of change 04:54 do you see in people's lives? 04:55 >>Wes: You know, it's, it's amazing to see 04:57 the lives of people transformed. 04:59 They go there, they have an impact, 05:01 they see God work miracles, 05:02 and every day they're having daily devotions. 05:04 They're reaching out and touching those individuals 05:07 in the medical clinics. 05:09 They're building churches, knowing that people 05:11 are gonna be worshiping in those churches very soon. 05:14 They're preaching evangelistic meetings, and they're hearing 05:17 the Word of God being preached right from their own mouth, 05:20 and it is just transformative. And their lives are changed. 05:23 >>John: Yeah. Now, we were both in Ethiopia 05:26 together with a large mission team: 05:28 physicians and dentists and a wide variety of people. 05:34 And it was a, a challenging place in some certain respects, 05:37 but God did great things. 05:40 I want you to take a look at this. 05:43 It Is Written Missions impacts 05:44 some of the most remote locations on the globe. 05:47 A team of volunteers recently answered the call to serve 05:50 in Ethiopia, the second-most populous country in Africa. 05:56 Ethiopia's average annual income is only $900, 06:00 meaning many people endure hardships that deprive them 06:03 of many of life's necessities. 06:06 Over two weeks the It Is Written team brought help and hope 06:09 to thousands who have little. 06:11 Medical and dental clinics took place in three locations. 06:14 Partnering with a general hospital, health care 06:17 and education were provided to more than 15,000 people, 06:21 most of whom would not have been able to find help elsewhere. 06:24 Emergency surgeries saved many lives. 06:27 One Muslim patient said, 06:29 "I thought the world had forgotten about Ethiopia, 06:31 "but the Christian God sent you to reveal His love to us. 06:35 I want to follow your Jesus." 06:38 God miraculously sped up procedures that normally take 06:41 two to three times longer, 06:42 enabling more patients to be seen. 06:45 The team of selfless volunteers worked long days and nights 06:49 to ensure that all could get the care they needed. 06:52 Almost every patient welcomed the offered prayer 06:55 that accompanied treatment. Many even requested prayer. 06:59 Two thousand years after Philip the apostle 07:02 baptized the Ethiopian eunuch, 07:04 the gospel is still saving lives in Ethiopia. 07:08 Over 7,000 people attended meetings 07:10 to hear the Word of God, more than had ever attended 07:13 in any of the meeting locations before. 07:17 The gospel penetrated hearts 07:18 even in the secular city of Addis Ababa. 07:21 As the Word of God was preached, 07:23 appeals were made, and hundreds responded, 07:26 accepting Jesus and the message of the Bible. 07:30 More than 3,500 people were baptized, 07:33 every name entered into the Book of Life. 07:37 Before his baptism, one man said, "All my life I was Muslim. 07:42 Today, I follow Jesus." 07:45 God is using It Is Written Missions to bring the gospel 07:48 to the farthest parts of the globe. 07:51 Because of your prayers and support, 07:53 thousands and thousands will experience eternity with Jesus. 07:58 Thank you for giving healing to the sick, love to the unloved, 08:02 and hope to the hopeless. 08:07 You know, I remember one lady there 08:08 who was connected with by our medical evangelists, 08:13 our medical missionaries before we got there. 08:16 She was very ill. Long story short, she was unable to walk 08:20 because she was an elderly lady, mid-to-late 80s. 08:23 She started to attend the church. 08:25 "But, boy, do I join this church, or do I remain Orthodox? 08:29 "What do I do? I'm hearing truth. 08:30 I'm seeing Jesus like never before." 08:33 She prayed a prayer, and her prayer was, 08:35 "Lord, if You want me to be part of this new church, 08:38 You have to heal me." 08:40 That was a big prayer, not a small prayer. 08:43 The next morning she wakes up. 08:45 She's able to walk; she's able to feed herself; 08:48 she's no longer dependent on anybody. 08:51 It was an out-and-out miracle. 08:54 I met the lady. She was baptized in Addis Ababa 08:57 while I was there. She has a smile that if you could 09:00 just connect it to the grid, it would power an entire city. 09:03 So you see miracles like that--you say, 09:04 "I want to be part of mission work." 09:06 >>Wes: Awesome stuff. And, you know, we saw 09:08 a number of miracles like that with people 09:11 that, uh, came to our medical clinics, 09:12 and God would just do miraculous things for them. 09:15 They would be, uh, just experiencing the healing that 09:18 our team was bringing to their hearts, but also their soul. 09:20 You know, there was one lady who was a Muslim, 09:23 and she was volunteering as a nurse in our clinic. 09:26 She was working at the hospital, and she said, 09:28 "I wanna help you guys," and as she watched our team impact 09:32 so many people, she said, "I wanna know about your God." 09:35 Another man said, "I thought that God had forgotten 09:38 "about Ethiopia, but the love that you're bringing here 09:41 to our country reminds me that God hasn't forgotten us." 09:44 >>John: Of course, you can experience miracles 09:47 here at home, of course. >>Wes: Sure. 09:48 >>John: And, and I hope people do. 09:50 You get out into the mission field, uh--you know, 09:53 you take resources that in the mission field they don't have. 09:56 >>Wes: That's right. >>John: You can bring expertise 09:58 that they don't have. We take teams of medical people. 10:01 Oftentimes, the people we're ministering to 10:03 simply cannot have or find access to medical care. 10:08 So, it's truly life-changing. 10:10 Another place where we saw lives change was Costa Rica. 10:14 And it was in Costa Rica where God did great things, 10:17 even impressed the team with miracles that He worked. 10:22 See for yourself some of what God did in Costa Rica. 10:27 >>Dr. Brad Emde: So, I'm an optometrist, and so I have been 10:29 on mission trips with It Is Written before, 10:31 like to Moldova and Mongolia. 10:33 And they, uh, are great to work with because usually 10:38 everything is already organized and ready to go, 10:40 and all I have to worry about 10:41 is organizing the vision clinics themselves. 10:44 >>Angela Emde: So, It Is Written helped us plan a trip 10:46 to French Polynesia. And we were going to go spring 2020. 10:51 Of course, the pandemic hit, 10:52 and we had to, uh, wait until the spring of 2021. 10:58 And so we were geared up, we were getting ready to go 11:01 to French Polynesia, we were getting everything lined up, 11:04 and then I received some news: 11:05 We can't go to French Polynesia 11:07 because the borders had been closed. 11:09 >>Kiran Finley: It was getting really close 11:10 to when we were gonna leave, 11:12 like a couple months before, and Miss Emde was saying, um, 11:16 "There's no way that we're gonna be able to have a mission trip, 11:19 unless God just drops one right in my lap." 11:23 >>Angela: It's not like God's going to drop a mission trip 11:25 out of the sky onto my desk at school. 11:28 And yet that's exactly what happened. 11:30 Within 24 hours, we had a mission trip to Costa Rica 11:34 that was planned. 11:35 >>Dr. Emde: So It Is Written already had a trip 11:38 to Costa Rica planned, and that time that we had allotted 11:42 would be a perfect time to follow up 11:44 and maybe help finish the church that they were constructing. 11:47 >>Katie-Jane Emde: In this community they were meeting 11:49 in small, little house churches. 11:51 And the house, um, that my team was preaching at 11:54 was the head elder's house, and he had built a little shed 11:57 on the side, and that was their church with some benches in it. 12:00 We had the goal of pouring the floor, 12:03 getting the floor done and the walls up 12:05 so they could put the roof on. 12:06 >>Jesse Felan: We were working, and as the day went on, 12:08 we could see the clouds rolling in. 12:11 And we saw them rolling in from this side, this side, 12:13 and this side, this side, you know, everything; 12:16 the storm was building. 12:17 We really prayed specifically, you know, 12:19 "Lord, hold the rain back until we get the floor poured, 12:22 until we're finished." And He did just that. 12:25 As soon as we pulled away, we were finished and pulling away, 12:29 it dumped just a massive amount of rain. 12:33 >>Dr. Emde: I had never experienced God working 12:36 and controlling the weather like He did that was so, so real. 12:40 Uh, so that, I would have missed out on, on that experience 12:44 had I not gone on this trip with It Is Written. 12:46 ♪[soft reflective music]♪ 12:47 >>Kiran: The biggest blessing for me is that 12:50 on the last two days, Katie-Jane and I worked on the baptistry 12:54 and worked building it, and we had three baptisms that Sabbath, 12:58 and so we got to see, like, people being baptized 13:00 in something we helped make. 13:03 >>Angela: I don't care what age you are; 13:06 going on a mission trip will be the most impactful thing 13:09 that you have ever done in your entire life. 13:11 You will go on this trip expecting to do great wonders, 13:16 but what actually will happen is 13:18 you will have great wonders done in your heart. 13:22 God will come into your life. 13:23 He will show you miracle after miracle. 13:26 He will show you lives transformed. 13:29 Giving these students the opportunity to go 13:31 on this mission trip is the greatest gift that any parent, 13:36 any school, any organization 13:38 could ever give to their students. 13:41 To, to be able to be a part of a mission trip 13:45 is incredibly impactful on students and adults alike. 13:49 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 13:53 >>Announcer: Everyone talks about love. 13:55 We love people, pets, hobbies, and even food. 13:59 But there is a love that goes deeper. 14:01 Find out how to discover this love 14:03 by requesting today's free offer, "The Greatest of These." 14:07 To receive your copy, 14:08 call us at 800-253-3000 14:11 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 14:14 Learn how God models love for us in "The Greatest of These." 14:18 Call 800-253-3000 14:21 or visit iiwoffer.com. 14:24 >>John Bradshaw: You know, for some years we've been conducting 14:26 an initiative here at It Is Written 14:28 called Eyes for India. 14:30 In India there are more than 15 million blind people. 14:34 Many of them, if they could get cataract surgery, 14:38 their blindness would be reversed. 14:39 In fact, it would go away. 14:41 And so we're working with an ophthalmologist in India 14:43 named Dr. Jacob Prabhakar, who has, over the years, 14:47 successfully treated thousands of people. 14:53 It's a miracle. 14:54 I mean, I don't wanna overuse that word, but it's incredible. 14:58 You've seen him at work. What's impressed you? 15:01 >>Wes Peppers: You know, it's really amazing, 15:02 and I've seen in the surgery room 15:05 Dr. Jacob performing these surgeries, 15:07 and just to watch the, the efficiency of what he does-- 15:11 and you can tell that God is guiding that hand, 15:13 and to be able to see a person come in being led by someone 15:18 who--because they can't see-- and being able to go out, 15:21 able to see-- >>John: Yeah. 15:22 >>Wes: ...truly it is a modern miracle. 15:23 >>John: Yeah. Yeah, you see people that, that are being led, 15:25 and two days later, three days later, 15:27 the bandages come off. Life has absolutely changed. 15:30 And in India, the people we're ministering to 15:32 are the poorest of the poor, 15:33 who cannot get this treatment. >>Wes: That's right. 15:35 >>John: So you may be blind in your mid-30s. 15:37 And sometimes that's what happens-- 15:38 these, these, these, what we call hyper-mature cataracts, 15:41 not cataracts like grandma had but bad cataracts. 15:45 And lives are absolutely changed due to the ministry 15:49 of Eyes for India. 15:52 ♪[soft music]♪ 15:54 Since 2013, It Is Written's Eyes for India has been following 15:59 the example of Jesus and giving sight to the blind. 16:03 Eyes for India has given the gift of sight 16:06 entirely free of charge 16:08 to thousands who cannot afford medical care. 16:11 Eyes for India, part of It Is Written Missions, 16:15 is made possible by It Is Written donors and supporters. 16:19 Earlier this year, a healing initiative was held 16:21 in northeast India. 16:23 Ophthalmologist Dr. Jacob Prabhakar 16:25 led a dedicated medical team, 16:28 working long hours to give sight to the blind. 16:32 Three thousand people received cataract surgery, 16:35 thanks to God's blessing on this exciting project. 16:40 Patients were prayed with, received Christian literature, 16:44 and were treated with dignity by a team dedicated 16:47 to the uplifting of humanity. 16:49 God restored what disease had taken away. 16:54 There are still countless others in desperate need 16:57 of life-changing surgery. 16:59 And it is you, our dedicated It Is Written supporters, 17:03 who make this happen. 17:05 Thank you for supporting It Is Written by impacting 17:08 so many lives through Eyes for India. 17:12 God's blessing through this life-changing, 17:14 Spirit-led initiative 17:16 is transforming lives around the world: 17:20 Eyes for India, brought to you by It Is Written Missions. 17:24 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 17:28 Your donation of only $75 sees to it that somebody receives 17:34 life-changing eye surgery. 17:36 And that covers more than the surgery and materials but also, 17:40 in many cases, accommodation and travel and materials 17:44 and witnessing materials. It is an absolute blessing. 17:50 To support It Is Written Missions, we encourage you 17:53 to give us a call now at 800-253-3000, 17:56 800-253-3000. 17:58 You can contact It Is Written any time at all. 18:01 You can call right now: 800-253-3000. 18:04 Now, Wes, when somebody supports It Is Written Missions, 18:06 what is it that they're enabling or facilitating? 18:09 >>Wes: Really, it's amazing what you're supporting. 18:11 When you support an It Is Written mission trip, 18:13 you are supporting evangelism, number one, 18:15 the preaching of the gospel to people who need to know 18:18 about Jesus and find hope in their hearts. 18:20 Secondly, you're helping to support the medical missions 18:23 that we do there: buying equipment, buying supplies, 18:26 and all the different things that we need 18:27 to perform those medical clinics 18:29 that literally will transform someone's life. 18:32 You're supporting children's ministry. 18:34 We host VBS programs every night 18:36 during the evangelistic meetings. 18:38 You're also helping to build churches and dig wells 18:42 and Eyes for India, these types of humanitarian projects 18:45 that we do on almost every mission trip. 18:47 So really, it's a wide variety of things that provide 18:50 a life-transforming experience 18:53 for the people that receive them. 18:54 >>John: And, of course, someone's watching us right now, 18:56 and they're thinking, "You know what, I need to be 18:58 on a mission trip." So, what should that person do 19:02 if they'd like to find out how to be part 19:03 of an It Is Written Missions mission trip? 19:04 >>Wes: Sure, you can go to our website, 19:06 itiswritten.com/missiontrips, 19:09 and you'll see all the trips 19:11 that are upcoming for the next year. 19:13 Any time you can apply for those. 19:15 You can call us here at the office 19:16 and request more information as well. 19:18 >>John: Now, over the years we have been to India, Mongolia, 19:22 Siberia, which I know is not a country, but it's in, in Russia. 19:25 Uh, we've been to Bolivia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, 19:29 numerous places, South Africa, Ethiopia, 19:32 and many, many, many that I have not mentioned. 19:34 And one place we went recently--and you were there, 19:38 Dominican Republic-- yeah, how was that experience? 19:40 >>Wes: Oh, it was really miraculous. 19:41 It was an awesome experience. 19:43 You know, we saw the hand of God moving, 19:45 serving over 1,300 people in medical clinics, 19:48 many of whom would not find medical treatment anywhere else. 19:52 We preached more than 40 evangelistic meetings 19:55 all across the country. Those were aired on national radio. 19:59 And it was just fantastic, and God blessed: 20:01 More than 1,500 people came to Jesus and were baptized. 20:05 >>John: Here is a little of what happened 20:07 during the It Is Written mission trip recently 20:10 in the Dominican Republic. 20:11 ♪[soft music]♪ 20:13 >>Narrator: If I could summarize this mission trip 20:15 in one word, I would say... 20:17 >>Girl: Extraordinary. >>Man 1: Humbling. 20:19 >>Woman 1: Enlightening. >Woman 2: Heartwarming. 20:21 >>Man 2: Prayer power. >>Woman 3: Transforming. 20:23 ♪[soft instrumental music continues]♪ 20:25 >>Darin Lewis: Prior to the trip, I was learning Spanish, 20:28 and I'm, I'm nowhere near fluent, 20:31 still have a lot to learn, but after a while, I just, 20:34 I just said to myself, "Hey, the little bit I do have 20:38 is more with God than if I was 100 percent fluent." 20:42 Believe it or not, I've been, you know, 20:44 helping the different departments and pharmacy, 20:48 registration, helping to translate. 20:50 I'm praying with people in Spanish. 20:52 It's just taught me that, hey, when you rely upon God's Spirit 20:55 and not just your strength, we can truly do miracles; 20:58 we can do mighty things. 21:01 >>Mr. Bautista: She's a physical therapist, 21:02 but she hasn't worked for 19 years; 21:04 also dealing with her cough and some GI issues 21:07 that she got here, she wasn't sure if she could anything. 21:10 >>Mrs. Bautista: And I would feel sick up until I started 21:13 putting my hands on somebody and just working on them. 21:16 I was like, "Lord, Your hands, these are Your hands; 21:19 I can't do anything unless You give me Your strength." 21:22 So, really, it's all God. 21:24 >>Valerie Mitchell: We are from different backgrounds, 21:27 different ethnicity, different locations, 21:31 and what I've noticed is the working together. 21:35 >>Man 3: Everyone was working at the clinic. 21:37 Um, everyone was helping at the evangelistic meetings. 21:39 It felt like no one was more important than anybody else. 21:43 >>Marteal Lamb: It was like we had a real team concept; 21:46 you know, we're all here united by the same purpose. 21:48 >>Woman 4: This was one of the trip what I saw for myself 21:51 and experienced how people could really come together 21:54 when they're working for God. 21:59 [speaking Spanish] 22:18 [speaking Spanish] 22:35 [speaking Spanish] 22:59 [speaking Spanish] 23:10 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 23:11 >>John: God did some amazing things 23:14 on that mission adventure. 23:15 Wes, something you don't have to contend with everywhere, 23:18 but you did in the Dominican Republic, was a tropical storm. 23:21 >>Wes: That's right. Tropical storm Franklin hit us hard. 23:24 We were right in the center of that, and it closed 23:27 the entire country down for two days, but God still enabled us 23:30 to be able to broadcast, and more than 25,000 people 23:34 were watching those two programs on those two nights. 23:36 It was phenomenal. People were-- >>John: Mm-hmm. 23:38 >>Wes: ...tuning in from everywhere, 23:39 hearing the gospel still being preached 23:41 right in the middle of a tropical storm. 23:43 >>John: Altogether, more than 1,500 baptisms. 23:45 >>Wes: Yes. >>John: In Ethiopia last year, 23:47 something like 3,600. >>Wes: Yes. 23:49 >>John: It's not just about the numbers, is it? 23:50 Well, it's about one number, and that number is one. 23:52 >>Wes: That's right. >>John: One Savior Jesus 23:54 came to this world, and He would have done it for one, 23:57 and we're grateful for every one that is baptized, 24:00 every one that is exposed to the gospel. 24:03 >>Wes: Every one is a precious one, and those ones 24:05 add up to many, and we praise God for those. 24:08 We don't boast in the numbers, but we praise God 24:10 for that precious soul that have, has found Him. 24:12 >>John: Now, the person who wants to see one more 24:14 come to Jesus, they can call us, 800-253-3000, and say, 24:18 "I wanna support It Is Written Missions." 24:20 And your support will be greatly appreciated. We need it. 24:23 We want to do more and not less. 24:25 Or you might like to say, "I can't go, but I wanna support 24:29 someone who can go in my place," and help us that way. 24:32 To find out about our It Is Written mission trips, go to 24:35 itiswritten.com/missiontrips. 24:37 We'd love to have you there. 24:38 Wes, great mission adventures await. 24:40 >>Wes: Amen. Praise the Lord. 24:41 >>John: Thank you for being part of It Is Written Missions 24:44 and helping It Is Written to reach the world with the gospel. 24:47 ♪[upbeat music swells and ends]♪♪ 24:57 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 24:59 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 25:03 To support this international life-changing ministry, 25:06 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 25:10 You can send your tax-deductible gift 25:11 to the address on your screen, 25:13 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 25:17 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 25:20 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 25:24 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 25:27 >>John: We remember the Bible is a missionary book. 25:31 The Great Missionary, the first missionary, is God Himself. 25:36 The Bible tells us that "God so loved the world 25:39 that He gave His only begotten Son." 25:42 When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, 25:44 God came after them, not to castigate or condemn 25:49 but to save them. That's God. 25:52 And He invites us into that same work. 25:54 Jesus said in the great commission, 25:56 "Go therefore and make disciples of all...nations, 26:00 "baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son 26:03 "and of the Holy Spirit, 26:04 "teaching them to observe all things 26:06 "that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, 26:09 even to the end of the age." 26:11 If God is calling you to work in your family, your community, 26:15 or in another part of the world, 26:17 I encourage you to answer that call. 26:19 If you can't go, I want to encourage you to support 26:22 It Is Written Missions so that we can go, our teams can go, 26:26 and proclaim the everlasting gospel. 26:29 With your help, "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached 26:33 "in all the world for a witness to all nations, 26:38 and then shall the end come." 26:42 >>Announcer: Everyone talks about love. 26:44 We love people, pets, hobbies, and even food. 26:47 But there is a love that goes deeper. 26:49 Find out how to discover this love 26:51 by requesting today's free offer, "The Greatest of These." 26:55 To receive your copy, 26:56 call us at 800-253-3000 26:59 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 27:03 Learn how God models love for us in "The Greatest of These." 27:06 Call 800-253-3000 27:09 or visit iiwoffer.com. 27:12 >>John: Let me pray with you now. 27:14 Our Father in heaven, 27:15 we thank You that You are the Great Missionary 27:18 and for the privilege of joining with You in mission service. 27:21 And right now there's somebody considering a call 27:23 to a distant part of the world 27:24 or perhaps a call to share Jesus at work, at school, 27:28 at home, across the street. 27:30 Let Your people rise up as a great missionary force. 27:34 Let each one of us be part of this great work of taking 27:37 the gospel to the world, far away or near to home. 27:42 Thank You for the assurance that You are with us in this. 27:45 We thank You, and we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 27:50 Thanks so much for joining me. 27:51 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:53 Until then, remember: 27:54 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:57 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 28:01 ♪[dramatic, triumphant theme music]♪ 28:25 ♪[music ends]♪♪ |
Revised 2023-12-05